


Drifting off to a tempting sleep

by Heato_kun



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: "The Vampire Strikes Back" Alternate Ending, An understandable crush, Ben is gonna suffer, Deviates From Canon, Emotional Manipulation, From Sex to Love, Hypnosis, Lima Syndrome, Lord Transyl has a crush, M/M, Master/Servant, Master/Slave, Mind Control, Not Brooken, Off-screen Character(s) death(s), Psychological Drama, Stockholm Syndrome, Vampire Bites, Vampire Sex, Zs'Skayr is oblivious to his situation, Zs'Skayr's henchmen are suffering, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-12 18:02:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13552680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heato_kun/pseuds/Heato_kun
Summary: When Lord Transyl manages to overcome Ben's team, the young hero is captured and forced to follow Lord Transyl's orders. Yet every day, his struggles seem to weaken as he keeps serving the ruler. And what happens when said ruler takes an interest in him? Ben x Lord Transyl.





	1. Defeat at Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's the beginning to this new Ben 10 story. This is basically a Lord Transyl x Ben fanfic.
> 
> I've never seen Lord Transyl in a ship before (except with Zs'Skayr as a joke on DA and Tumblr) and the Vladat design was overall very... aesthetically pleasing. Whampire's interaction with him was cool and I wanted to explore how it could've gone differently from there.
> 
> Of course, I'm writing this as pure self-pleasure, so if you don't like, no sweat :) I can handle it (I can't)
> 
> Anyway, don't forget to review and no flames pls (✿◕‿◕✿)

"Wait! Would he not make a more fitting slave, Lord Transyl?"

The revived ruler brought his hand to his chin. "Hmm, probably so."

" _Probably_? Really?" sarcastically asked Ben.

The fight was not really going his way, and both friends and foes were currently against him. Probably because his friends were mind-controlled by a vampire alien or whatever.

"Doctor Viktor!" ordered Zs'Skayr.

Barely managing to raise his hand to his watch, Ben yelped as he was dragged from behind. Struggling to pull free from the Transylian's grasp, he froze as he felt a cold, sharp fingered hand brush against his chin.

"Hmmm, yes." smirked Lord Transyl, "you will make quite the capable slave. But first..."

He readied his throat and taking a step forward, he spat three Corrupturas. Which flew immediately to Zs'Skayr's henchmen.

"What?! What are you doing?!"

"Do not worry, Ectonurite. I was just making sure these subordinates of yours wouldn't change their loyalties so easily as they did before."

Ben could actually feel Viktor behind him, struggling as much as him to open his hands. A grunt coming from Crüjo and a yelp from Kuphulu made Ben realize the mess he was in this time. He wasn't between allies and enemies: he was in the middle of Lord Transyl's slaves. Regardless on whose side he was on, it didn't much matter now that he was surrounded.

"Hobble? Hobble!" yelled Ben in despair.

The green alien wasn't anywhere. What was going on?

"Now, where were we?" said Lord Transyl's dark, imposing voice "Oh yes. You'll learn the honor of serving a true Vladat, young human weakling."

One spit sound, and darkness claimed Ben's mind.


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to the new Vladat empire

"Ughhhh..." Ben moaned as he forced himself to wake up.

His head was aching, and so was his entire body. Gosh, what happened to him? It felt like he got hit by a train. His mind was a blur and he could hardly move his head.

As he tried to get up, he realized that in fact, he was already standing. He wasn't put up a wall or chained to it by shackles, he was standing upright.

Did he zone out in the middle of the night before going back to bed? No, that wasn't like him. Usually, he'd immediately fall asleep on his seat in the Proto-TRUK and Rook would have to wake him up or carry him to his house. He remembered the first time it happened, he woke up straight and in panic, he slammed the Omnitrix and almost crushed his partner as NRG before wiping the neighbor's fences out of existence. He still remembers all the complaining and lecture that ensued the morning after. Heh.

Now what was he doing? He still felt a bit sleepy but knew he should make a move. Feeling a tiny itching on his forehead, he rubbed it off. Or at least he tried, because he couldn't move a single muscle.

Fully awake by now, he forced his eyes open.

From what he could make, he was in a dark hallway, gray walls in sight, some ugly violet-red carpet at his feet. A weak pink light emanated from windows afar, hardly helping his vision getting any clearer. He felt cold, a shiver going down his spine without being able to express it.

Has he been there before? Why did this place feel familiar?

Focusing on the light, he saw two torches lit by purple flames, set in front of a wooden old door. Geez, was everything in this place as dusty, decrepit and ugly as everything he found around him? Who could even own or want all of that old junk in their houses anyway? Did he accidentally break into an antique store in his sleep?! That would explain why it felt so gloomy around here.

Progressively adjusting his eyesight, he saw pictures on the walls. Paintings framed in gold, the people shown on them having creepy faces. Weird, how they all had purple eyes. And were staring at him like in horror movies. And had weird things on them, like a mouth too big and too much hair, or bandages all over their heads, or gears coming out of their...

"I'm back on Anur Transyl!" Ben shouted.

_'Come on, think! What happened over here?! And where am I exactly?'_

He didn't exactly come here for tourism last time. Charmcaster had manipulated him to work for her while he was struggling with acne, and they ended up fighting a bunch of pumpkins. After that they got into a... castle?

He finally recognized where he found himself. He was in Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr again. Did he get kidnapped? He was fully clothed, which certainly meant he wasn't taken away from his house at night. He must've been out somewhere before ending up here. His muscles felt sore, as if he recently pulled an effort, which meant he was probably doing so before being put to sleep. But how? He didn't feel pain in a specific place on his head, and while he felt hurt, there was no hint that someone actually knocked him out. Did he get drugged? That would explain why he felt dizzy, yet at the same time looked as fine as he always was! (Somewhere else, Celestialsapiens were competing in a facepalming contest.)

"Okay, why would someone take me here again? Aside from Ghostfreak trying to possess me again of course. Hey, why didn't he already do that? I'm in his house, that's like, the perfect occasion to steal my body like he always wanted to!" he realized "This doesn't make any sense. He's definitely the one that got me here. But how did he get back on Earth? How could he-"

Wait, that made even less sense! If Zs'Skayr was the one taking him away, it couldn't possibly have happened on Earth. There's too many lights in there, and everyone knows about Zs'Skayr's weakness to sunlight and how harmless he can be when having a flashlight aimed at him. Even then, how could he get off Anur Transyl that easily? Either he found a way to travel off planet and come back with Ben, or Ben himself was on the planet.

Come to think of it, after Charmcaster's scheme, what happened when he left?

_When he left?_

When did he ever leave the planet? He tried to remember: he got a new look for Swampfire, beat Charmcaster (Hobble and Rook helped a bit, of course), got back on the Lovely Duck for another painful trip with Rad, then what?

Ben tried as hard as he could, but he felt like his memories of the mission were slipping away, as if he couldn't control what he or his body was doing anymore.

Suddenly, the door opened up, and Kuphulu, Crüjo and Zs'Skayr came out.

"Ben Tennyson, so nice of you to stay with us for the celebration" said Zs'Skayr, his throaty voice clearly betraying his satisfaction and glee.

"Sure, I couldn't leave my biggest fan hanging" sarcastically responded Ben "Mind telling me why I'm here?"

"Still as impatient as always, aren't you? Lord Transyl demanded that you stayed away from the laboratory while his slaves reorganize the throne room"

"Lord-Lord what?" Ben raised a brow "Who's that?" Did they have some sort of beauty (or in this case, ugliness) contest going on while he was out cold?

"Do not play anymore games with me, Tennyson. Your days of causing trouble are over. You two, carry him."

As the two henchmen got close, Ben was practically begging his legs to get running. If he could move, maybe he could get away from them, they looked weakened for some reason. Heck, if he could move, he'd turn into Four Arms and pound them to the ground without breaking a sweat! But he could do nothing, only watch as the mummy and the werewolf picked him by his arms and started dragging him to the door.

"I can walk, you know." he lied.

"If you could walk away from us, that would be nice. But right now, you can't even move" said Kuphulu, rolling his eyes

"How do you know that? Are you the ones who paralyzed me? Why are you even working for this guy, does he even pay you? And... what's that on your faces?" he asked as he noticed a small little object on their faces. A purple eye with tiny horns and bat wings was fixated on them.

"Would you quit twisting the knife in the wound?! We're already in a bad mood. If we could, we'd smash your skull and shut your smart mouth up." growled Crüjo.

Ben snorted, "I have a friend named Kai back on Earth, I'm sure you two would get along. She loves lapdogs like you" he teased.

Another angry growl from the bear-like alien improved Ben's mood. Maybe it wasn't all so dark in this monster town.

"We're here. Behave yourselves." said Zs'Skayr as they arrived in front of a bigger door. He pushed it, leading to a throne room. On a king size throne, a devilish looking man was eyeing Ben closely.

"Ah, you finally came back to me, my slave..." he said, a husky hissing voice escaping his dark lips.

"Your what now? Who are you?" Ben asked in confusion.

"It doesn't matter, Tennyson, because your Omnitrix is now mine!" declared Zs'Skayr, lunging at the young hero.

Before he could even react, Ben saw the Ectonurite going transparent, and penetrating his chest.

He felt an immense pain in his head and, without any warning, he fell down and clutched his head, squirming as he heard the Ectonurite's laughter.

Images filled his head. Him falling from the sky... the townspeople all gathered to get him... Hobble being scared (again)... His friends attacking him against their own will... A new alien appearing in the Omnitrix... and finally, Lord Transyl's triumphant expression as he put everyone under his control.

Heaving for breath, he kept struggling on the ground, feeling like his entire body was about to crack into pieces.

He heard a loud gasp emanating from his chest and, suddenly, Zs'Skayr came out of him in a hurry. The Ectolord seemed as bad in shape as he was when he first left the watch, wiggling on the ground like some kind of worm.

"W-What did you... do to me..." said Ben, clutching his chest in pain, not realizing he could move again.

"I should ask the same f-from you, Tennys- Agh!" croaked Zs'Skayr, a claw over his chest eye "How could you resist my control in a situation like this, you can't even use that damned Omnitrix of yours to turn the tables!"

A blink of realization and a smirk from Ben was all it took for Zs'Skayr to hear Lord Transyl tell him "Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut?!". Ben got up and reached for the faceplate. But as he chose his next alien, his hand stopped before he could fiddle with the Omnitrix any further.

 _"What?!_  Oh come on!" he whined as his body was once again paralyzed.

The core was up, Humungousaur was selected. All he needed to do was to push down the button and he'd be free. Why couldn't he move? Just two seconds ago he was fine, why didn't he have control over-

His left arm was seized from behind by a pale clawed hand.

"So this is the device that allows you to impersonate my people. Interesting." said Lord Transyl.

Ben gulped down as his enemy turned him around and put his hand on his shoulder. The vampire lord was eyeing Ben again, looking occasionally at the watch. Either this man had no sense of boundaries or he wanted to mess with Ben's mind again. Or both.

"What do you want from me, Nosferatu?" mocked Ben.

"Hmph, haven't heard of that rascal in a long time." he amusedly responded, "Tell me, why are you using all of this power needlessly? You have no idea where your loyalties should lie, do you?" he added as he took hold of Ben's chin, making him directly look at Lord Transyl's face.

Then his purple eyes started spiraling and Ben couldn't look away, not even able to close his eyes. His vision started getting a little blurry and it felt as if he was about to fall asleep again. Progressively feeling relaxed, he closely listened as Lord Transyl spoke.

"You aren't worthy of having this power, a mere child like you cannot comprehend how futile opposing me is. That power you have upon your wrist isn't made for the purpose you gave it, for you should be by my side as my slave. Cease your little games and give in to me, child."

Ben's breathing slowed down, and he no longer felt tense. The pressure he had earlier was gone, and he felt like he didn't have to fight anyone anymore.

He deeply looked at Lord Transyl's eyes, lost in thought... then promptly blinked out of hypnosis, looking away, before saying "hm, no" in the most uninterested tone the king before him has ever heard.

"What?!"

"Sorry, but I really,  _really_  don't fall for the whole mind slave thing, I already told you. I think." teased Ben.

Lord Transyl shook his head, snapping out his hypnosis. He kept observing Ben, still clutching the boy's cheek, analyzing the young hero. Why would the human not give in to him? He was Anur Transyl and Anur Vladias's first and last sovereign, he took down armies by himself before building his kingdom and even when he first came to rule, he was strong enough to take down rebels, rivals, enemies and traitors and to assert his control over them again. So why was this child not mesmerized like the others?

Could it be that bracelet of his? No, no one could resist him, his hypnosis and charms were unique, no machine from any era could possibly counter his powers or replicate them with the same efficiency as a true Vladat. Many Transylians by the past tried to give him a taste of his own medicine, but they all failed. His people couldn't hope to overthrow him by taking control of him, not even Ectonurites (until that idiotic fiend that resurrected him prevented him from feeding, letting his body vulnerable to a low-life to possess).

He was unstoppable! His mind was invincible and stronger than anyone's in the universe! Even the oldest Vladats couldn't hope to defeat him, they were all too weak for him! In fact, one of the many reasons he was able to be king was because no one could hope to fight him, no one was strong enough to take his power as King away from him, no one as determined enough to resist his temptations, no one-

He chuckled and started laughing as realization hit him. Ben raised a brow, wondering if it was another of those villain monologues people had in store for him. Though he had some shivers when Lord Transyl started caressing his cheek, putting his other hand under the boy's chin. He couldn't get his head away as the older alien stroke his face, a toothy grin still showing on his midnight black lips.

"What's so funny?"

"Hmm, tell me, human, haven't you wondered why I never lost my title years ago? Why so many of my enemies died or simply gave up and ended up as my slaves without ever succeeding in beating me?" he asked maliciously.

"I'm not really into politics, so I'd say... people were stuck-up, some tried keeping their honor by dying in battle, and others abandoned because they think submitting and sucking up to you is the best way to save their butts."

He felt a hard jab at the back of his head.

"Language, Tennyson! I didn't bring Lord Transyl back for you to lack him any respect!" shouted an angry Zs'Skayr.

"Yeah well I don't think being brought back to life by  _you_ does him any better" cockily responded Ben. Even in the most dangerous situation, he wasn't letting the ecto-jerk getting his mood down. Lord Transyl seemed amused by the exchange as he followed.

"What you certainly ignore is that Vladats can always get their ways. We possess the ability to exert control on weaklings by using their body and minds against them. Our hypnosis is the very first of its kind, as no one was able to counter it. Up until those pesky geared beings used what little they could achieve to betray their own Lord, of course." he seethed, his early delight dropping. "However, what most of my people couldn't completely possess, were strong-willed persons."

"Anyone with a strong will can fight back the mind spell we can inflict. That's what the Corrupturas are for, even if they end up vulnerable to anything stronger than a mere Ectonurite" he gave an aside glance to Zs'Skayr, who didn't understand that his new associate was still looking down on him. " _My_  mind abilities, however, have been sufficient to build armies, legions,  _my entire empire!_ Simply because all were too weak to resist me. It's one of the many reasons my people were considered as the strongest beings in the universe."

_'Ooooh, I wonder what's next? He'll probably tell me about his race being superior to all others and try and turn everyone into bat henchmen to eradicate all other species or some stuff like that. How original! Maybe I need Reiny on this one.'_

"What do I have to do with this?" Ben asked.

"Now, aren't you wondering why you're not fully obeying me by now?" asked back Lord Transyl.

That startled Ben. Yes, the guy has been babbling all long about what he can do, but if he truly could manipulate anyone's mind, why didn't he do it yet? He kept talking and showing off, but either he was dumb enough to wait that long before gaining control of Ben, or...

Or he already tried.

"Wait, I didn't say yes when your eyes were turning in circle earlier. That means... I resisted you? And when you captured Whampire the other time, does that mean you didn't fail because of the Omnitrix... but me?" asked Ben, perplexed.

"Indeed, you truly are a wonder, Ben Tennyson" Lord Transyl nodded. "Nobody ever achieved the feat of rejecting my orders, until you. You are probably the first and last person in history to do so. I believed at first that mimicking a Vladat gave you a better resistance to my suggestions, but I must admit, it was all you. Congratulations, Ben Tennyson, your will was strong enough, you are worthy of opposing me."

"Well, that's what being Earth's hero takes! A strong personality for a strong guy like me!" bragged Ben, to which Zs'Skayr sighed and his henchmen groaned in annoyance (... again). When would this kid ever change in the face of danger? Lord Transyl chuckled at Ben's prideful remark.

He however wasn't finished.

"Yes, it was quite admirable. But that doesn't mean you'll get away from me anytime soon. Your determination will take time to destroy, bring down, just until I deem you able to serve, and I  _will_  take pleasure in molding you my way, child." he added, stroking Ben's face again. He grinned as the boy gave him a spiteful, angry look. Soon enough, those bright green eyes won't be so full of hope as they are now, but he will break the boy, slowly, in due time. "It was a pleasure meeting you", he took his grasp off the boy, "now run along and join your friends down the castle."

Yet all Ben did was standing there, angrily eyeing the villain for what he did. Lord Transyl raised a brow, before his eyes shone a purple light. It did nothing.

"You can't control me, you said it yourself. Let me outta here!" Ben angrily shouted.

"Quiet! It doesn't work like that. The Corrupturas affect the body, not the mind. Therefore, you shouldn't be able to... How peculiar." he said as he looked at Ben's forehead, touching the little critter stuck to it.

Ben realized the Corruptura he received earlier still must've been there. Yet, why did it paralyze him instead of making him move against his will? Lord Transyl clearly didn't order him to play statue, why would he stay stuck in this state that long, even after he was asked to move?

What he couldn't see was that his Corruptura seemed to behave differently from others. Its eyelid was half-closed and it looked as if it was struggling to stay open, as if anytime now it would fall down and break.

"Hmm, that's new. If what you said was true, then that 'Omnitrix' of yours was able to counter some of my power over you. It's not enough, but you're lucky that I can't make you do anything I want. For the moment." Ben raised a brow. "My Corruptura is strong enough to hold you down for now, but I made it when I was freshly revived. All it needs now is a bit of energy for you to do my bidding. Dr. Viktor!" he called.

The door opened, and an obviously regretful Dr. Viktor entered, holding a slimy chained alien in his big hands.

"Hobble!" Ben yelped.

"B-B-Ben! I-I'm sorry! W-W-When w-we were fighting in the lab, I couldn't stop the machines from reviving the other Vladats! I heard you ask for help but I got too scared! I couldn't move and then they got me when I started running away! I'm so sorry!" screamed the panicking, mumbling, crying Hobble. Ben gave him a sad smile.

"It's okay, Hobble, you did your best, we'll-" he was interrupted as Lord Transyl walked towards Viktor, both obviously disgusted by the other.

"Hmm, not really a good meal for a king, but that will do" he said as he dug his teeth onto Hobble's head.

A scream of pain could be heard inside the whole castle. Ben was horrified, and so were the three henchmen. They watched, helpless, as the poor Hobble was little by little losing color, his life energy being drained by the monster over him.

"Stop! I'll... I'll do whatever you want, just leave him alone!" Ben shouted.

But his pleas were ignored as Hobble was weakening, dropping on the ground.

"...Ben?" he asked, looking weakly as the teen, before his eyes shut, leaving his lifeless body resting on the cold floor.

No, he didn't want this. He wasn't supposed to let this happen. He was the galaxy's savior, he was supposed to help others. And now he failed. He let an innocent die. He let someone enslave a whole planet. He failed doing what he liked best. He failed being a hero. He failed everyone, he-

"And now, let's end this day quickly, shall we?" said Lord Transyl as he pulled off the tiny little alien's head. Wiping his mouth from a bad taste left, he went near Ben again and rested his lips upon Ben's forehead.

Ben winced a bit as he felt Lord Transyl's teeth touch his skin, then he felt energy flowing as his muscles finally moved again without any pain from staying motionless for that long. He stood more correctly before the king, his hands behind his back. He bowed after the 'kiss' he had ended, a disappointed, sad look on his face still showing.

"Much better, slave. You are dismissed. You," Lord Transyl said, addressing Viktor, Kuphulu and Crüjo, "accompany him to the dungeons, where the rest of you should be. It is time that Anur Transyl gets its Lord back."

Without saying a word, without talking back, without being able to disobey, Ben walked towards the exit, followed by the now unwilling trio. He felt guilty after everything that just happened. What kind of hero was he if he handed the world to someone on a silver platter like this? Some hero he was.

He knew he was being watched closely, but he ignored the glares of his companions in misfortune. Right now, he had other things in mind. The words he got told when he still thought he could save everyone seemed like a terrible truth as of now.

_"You. Ever since you came, all you've brought is trouble."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This one was a toughie! Here it is for chapter 1. Hope you're enjoying this fic well and don't forget to review. Bye bye!


	3. Chapter 2: With the lower ones

Rook attempted his best not to panic.

He needed a plan to escape, find Ben, free all of these people and defeat their new enemy. But how could he proceed? He looked at his surroundings and made a recap of the events.

First, he was in a cave down Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr. Second, Scout and Rad were beside him, probably as distressed as him (though Rad appeared more annoyed than afraid). Third, everyone, including them, was lined up in straight lines, reminding him of the very first Plumber inspection he had. He would be amused of the fond memories he had if it wasn't for his current predicament. He and Scout had made a ruckus back then, when he was still a bit undisciplined. Like Ben.

Rook thought of his partner. Was Ben okay out there? Did he not find an escape yet, or was he already fighting Lord Transyl, as brash and irresponsible it could be? Ben could be reckless at times, but that meant he was eager to show how well he could control the power he received from the Omnitrix. Though the fact he hasn't seen or heard of Ben after the failed mission started to worry him.

After that Ben was shot with the Corruptura, he immediately blacked out. It seemed that he was awake, but Rook could see and hear him breathing slowly when it happened, as if Ben had fallen asleep like he often did in the Proto-Truk. If Ben was under control, why would he do that without being asked to? Unless he was pretending to fall asleep to mimic the idea of a "sleep-zombie" in the Earth movie they recently watched together (the one with the army of sleeping people taking over the world, in which case Rook hoped Ben's act got more believable. His partner was a good hero but a terrible actor without a good cover). Regardless of what that reaction was, Ben would obviously find a way to fight back and save the day as he always did.

He knew what the Corrupturas could do, as he was a victim of one as of right now, as well as the rest of the planet. But surely, Ben would be able to make it. He read the files the Plumbers had on the Omnitrix's basic functions and studied carefully his notes on it back when he was attending the Plumbers' Academy, especially the ability of avoiding any type of mind control, whether it originated from magic or technology, Azmuth has made sure of that.

The only thing that could seem to control or possess Ben whilst wearing the Omnitrix was his pile of video games inside his room (Rook made note to never stay beside him for too long, not that he feared falling under the game's influence, but Ben would often move too much on the couch and he could hurt someone. Yes, even when he was sitting quietly, the great Ben Tennyson was still able to throw around some punches).

A small smile appeared as he was reminded of the good times they've had together, yet he knew he needed to act out fast if he didn't want those moments to end this soon.

He carefully analyzed the place as far as his head could move in his current state. After that Ben was caught, they had to wait until the first Vladat armies came back to life before having to look for Hobble. Zs'Skayr wanted them to take a look at their new wardens before sending them on a hunt for their escort. They finally found Hobble hiding in plain sight in the Lovely Duck's cockpit, desperately trying to contact the Earth base to send help. He didn't count on the ship's crash to render Pyxi and the rest of the communications unavailable (Rad proved himself to be  _very_  terrifying upon learning this).

They've had to run after him, shoot him, jump on him, try to tie him up several dozen times before his tiredness caught up to him and he couldn't escape anymore. Both Rook and Scout couldn't tell if their sighs were because they felt ashamed of attacking Hobble and upset about compromising their own rescue, or being unable to catch an easy target when they were certified Plumbers and had less trouble catching petty thieves than a scaredy-cat like Hobble.

Come to think of it, where was the tiny slimy Plumber now? They've handed him to Dr. Viktor, who took him away for unknown reasons, then they got sent in here with the other Anur inhabitants. Sure, he may not have fallen under hypnosis and was a very sharp shooter, but he wasn't that brawny either. Could they make a soldier out of him in here? Even though he was a high-ranked Plumber, Rook wasn't sure Vladats had the same standards for their army as the Alpha Squad did for its members.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a sigh of relief escaped Rook as he saw his best friend walking in, but relief was replaced by confusion as soon as he saw Crüjo, Kuphulu and Dr. Viktor following, a grim look upon their faces. Why were they following Ben like that? Did he manage to throw another of Whampire's Corrupturas at them? But he was in human form and the Corrupturas broke when he timed out last time, so they shouldn't follow him like this. They didn't even look mad against Ben, just upset and looking down.

It was only as they got closer that Rook allowed himself to speak up.

"Ben! You are okay! Um, why do you have these threes on your back? Anyway, we need to- Ben?" Rook asked as he noticed that, unlike his usual cheerful self, Ben had a sour expression upon his face.

"Ben? Ben, is something the matter? What happened? What is going on?" he asked.

"Rook..." Ben said, hesitantly "I... I failed. I was too slow, I didn't react well I-" Ben looked as if he was about to break down to tears, but he was surprisingly standing straight, just terribly sad. "They got to me. I lost, Rook, I..."

"Calm down, Ben Dude. Take it slow. Breathe, then you can talk to me, do not strain yourself." said Rook in a reassuring voice. Ben gave his partner a sad smile, glad that Rook still had his back. He wished he didn't have to tell him just how awful the situation became.

"Ben. It is okay, take your time, there is nothing to be afraid of now." he said, visibly concerned.

"Rook, when... when I woke up, Zs'Skayr and his men took me away to his throne room. And the new guy was in there." Ben said, sweating a bit.

"Zs'Skayr, Lord Transyl, throne room. I got it."

"Then, Zs'Skayr tried to possess my body again."

"But it failed, did it not?" asked Rook in a playful attempt to cheer Ben up.

"Yeah, I think Azmuth learned from last time. I wonder why it took him the fourth Omnitrix to build to make it Ghost-Freak-Proof" he snorted a bit. "It really hurt me though, I felt him force his way inside my chest and get out, gives me chills."

"Well, Azmuth did not expect someone to be so stubborn to try the same trick more than once." Rook joked.

"You'd think that that horror movie monster would've learned, hehe." Ben said as he felt a bit better.

"He is as stubborn as a mole, as you would say back on Earth."

"It's 'as a mule', but you're making progress, I guess." Ben teased. He took on a more serious expression.

"Then Lord Transyl tried to hypnotize me again. He almost did, but he said I was strong enough to resist him."

"The Omnitrix is truly full of wonders." Rook smiled.

"Uh, Rook, he... I don't think he failed because of the Omnitrix. He blabbered as if he knew what he was talking about, he didn't even ask questions when I brought up the watch's mind control resistance. Zs'Skayr must've filled him in about it."

That startled Rook. This new enemy had the ability to control someone with the Omnitrix and unlike Zs'Skayr or Kevin, could hardly get hurt if he wanted the Omnitrix, as he didn't need to make contact with the watch to have Ben take it off by himself.

"His species can't control people with a strong will, and he said he was the only one who could control anyone regardless of who they were, even his own people. But he said I was the first person ever who refused his orders and that I was unique. I wish I got that compliment in another situation."

"So you actually fought him off just by staying determined to fight until the end? That is amazing, Ben! You really live up to your reputation! Beating a millennia-old tyran to his own game, you need to tell me more about it when we return to Earth." said an impressed Rook. Ben's expression suggested that he shouldn't have said that.

"Then, when he asked me to go in here, it didn't work because, the Omnitrix did its job and all, but his tiny bat thingy still had some influence on me, and I couldn't move. At all."

"So that is why you did not respond when he shot that Corruptura at you. It was fighting the watch's defenses and your body was in conflict whether to obey to you or to Lord Transyl."

"Yeah, well he made the choice easier. He fed that booger with fresh energy he stole."

"Where did he get it from? It cannot be from them, they are still alive. For now." he said. Ben guessed that he was talking about Zs'Skayr's henchmen, because it looked as if the Revonnahgander was painfully trying to raise his hand towards the three criminals. He would laugh at the subtle threat if it wasn't for the incident he needed to talk about.

"He called Dr. Viktor and..." Ben abruptly stopped.

Rook realized something must have went wrong at that point, because Ben was brooding again. He wished he could just give the poor human, whatever he went through up there.

"Rook, he asked Dr. Viktor to give him Hobble and..." Ben took in a deep breath. "He killed him."

"What?! Why would he do such a thing?!"

"He just bit him and sucked all of his energy. In front of me. I couldn't help him, I was just stuck in there, useless. I failed, Rook, I failed. I lost." Ben mourned.

Rook frowned at what Ben said. They were stuck on a planet with no help available at the moment, the connections to the Plumbers were cut off, he got rid of his own communication badge and so did Scout, their only remaining ally for the mission just died, and Ben had to witness all of this mess and put all the blame on himself.

The whole planet was against them, the odds were favoring Zs'Skayr in this situation, they were at their weakest and his best friend felt like giving up. Things could hardly get any worse.

As if to answer that thought, heavy footsteps could be heard from the dungeon's door. Two of the local citizens painfully pulled it open, revealing the largest Vladat he has ever seen. How did this one fit into the pod again? Rook didn't know. What he knew, however, was that he must've been a commander during the war against the Vladats. And by the looks of it, the vampire-like alien wasn't the least amused at his species's defeat. He kept passing in-between the ranks of Anur citizens, a scarily obvious hunger present in his eyes.

A sudden funny thought came into Ben's mind, making briefly dissipate the guilt he had felt earlier.

"Pssst, guys! Check it out!" he whispered to his team, earning Scout's attention in the process. "Looks like we found Hulka's fugly old relative in this gloomy mess!"

Both Plumbers silently questioned Ben's sudden change in humor, then started snickering under their breath. Ben was obviously nervous after everything that occurred in this terrible place, he needed comfort and now would be as good a time as any. He always knew how to make out-of-place jokes in the most disturbing situations, it felt nice to see him back in action. Plus, the old enormous Vladat monitoring them did look as grouchy and done with everything as Magister Hulka. Scout decided to give it a try.

"Um, Ben Tennyson?" Ben turned to Scout. "I've heard rumors that you attended the same Plumbers' Academy as we did to complete your formation, is it true that you received a medal from the Magister himself?"

"Yeah. He was pretty impressed by my performance back in there. I showed him what I could do and he admitted I was good enough for a prize." bragged Ben, as it was close to to the truth but definitely not the way it happened. He was back to his everyday mood. Now they could think for a plan.

"Okay, guys, I have an idea. Those weird things the Vladats make aren't indestructible, right?"

"Actually, they're weak to sunlight."

Ben turned his head to the speaker. Dr. Viktor.

"And you're helping us with this now?" asked Ben, raising a brow.

"Listen, Tennyson, I hate Vladats more than I hate you, and in case you haven't noticed, we're in the same boat as of right now." he answered angrily.

"Weird, I think we're nowhere near water for that." said Ben, mimicking Rook's idiom mistakes, prompting a small laugh from said Revonnahgander and collective groans from the monster trio, along with Scout's confused canine whimper.

"It's cool, 'cause I got a plan. These guys want us to fight for them, right? All we need to do is wait until they send us on the field and they'll force me to use my Omnitrix. My transformations are always bright, it could blind some of them, but most of all, my Corruptura will break and I'll free everyone from Zs'Skayr's plan by using Atomix's powers to create a big light above the town and save the day again!" he excitedly explained.

"And what if one of them tries to eat you before, huh?" cockily asked Kuphulu.

"Then the Omnitrix will trigger a feature that saves my life every time I'm about to die. And since Ghostfreak doesn't have any life energy to steal, the watch should logically turn me into him so I won't get my energy stolen." easily pointed out Ben. "I'll be able to possess a Vladat without getting noticed and order everyone under that Vladat's control to free the others. We'll be out in no time and if I can get us out of here fast enough, we can come up with a plan to actually get rid of Lord Transyl".

The trio of henchmen looked at each other. Maybe there was more to this kid than what Zs'Skayr had told them about "tough luck" and "holding back against the human child to show mercy". At least, his plan was more thought-out than most of the plans the former Ecto-lord had ordered them to carry. For now, they'd have to put their differences aside and listen to this human, no matter what they would do after overthrowing the Vladat king.

"Now we'll just have to wait until they want us to do something, distract them or feed them, ew by the way, then I can do something. Don't know how long it'll take but if I can wait for the ship to be fixed, I can wait to go hero." he said, finger gunning an obviously pissed Rad.

"Um, Ben?" asked Rook.

"Yeah?"

"It has come to my attention that you have been gesticulating and making signs with your hands since earlier when everyone else couldn't move without orders." Rook said, his body trembling from a lack of activity.

Ben's eyes widened as he realized he was indeed capable of moving instead of being as stiff as a statue like earlier. He took a few steps forward, almost got a meter far from his original placing and... that was about it, he couldn't run away. Walking back towards his friends as to not get noticed, he focused back on the Omnitrix.

_'Okay, maybe I can pick an alien to save the prisoners then.'_

He tried to touch the watch, only that his hand stopped before even touching it. Nope, didn't work the first time, still wouldn't work this time.

"If only I could move my bandages, maybe I could reach it." said Kuphulu, huffing his face bands like an emo.

"Hey, Tennyson." said Crüjo, "Doesn't that watch have, like, a voice command option or something to call your friends?"

"It does, but I don't have Master Control right now. Without Master Control, I can't control it vocally. Except to take the watch off my wrist, go back to my human form or make the Omnitrix explode. And I don't think you want to play fetch with my disembodied hand." said Ben, sticking his tongue out.

"Why would the Galvan that made the Omnitrix not let you use it fully?! Does he trust you or not?" questioned Kuphulu in a surprised manner. "At least, Lord Zs'Skayr told us how to use his machines when fueling the lab with the Alpha Rune."

"Zs'Skayr likes to do things by himself, of course he'd give you the simplest things to do. And Azmuth does trust me. He just won't let me use it until I'm an adult, and I'm only 16 for now."

"You still count as a child on your planet?" asked Viktor.

"You mean I don't in here?" asked Ben, raising a brow.

"On Anur Transyl and all other planets of the system (well, except for Anur Vladias), we're considered adults ever since we reach 10 and then we can get a job, marry, drive a vehicle, you name it."

Silence.

"Wait, 10?! You attacked me, Gwen and Grandpa Max six years ago because you thought we were all of age and knew how to defend ourselves?" he asked, his eye twitching from disbelief. "Dude, on Earth, we're considered adults at the very least at 15, and even then, only in a few countries! You were attacking kids and an old man that day, not highly-trained sumos!"

_'Is that why Viktoria thought that she could flirt with me even though I was way older? No, she still looked too young, that was definitely puppy love back there."_

"I wouldn't say he was old in our standards, but yes, I thought he was the one who taught you how to defeat Master Zs'Skayr. You're really still just a kid?"

"I know how to fight bad guys by myself just fine, thanks. Grandpa actually taught me to  _restrain_  myself, that's why Gwen was the one to put you inside a metallic body cast. I'm the one who made it but without her, I'd be beating your body down to a pulp. Why do you think I got a reputation to break stuff? I caused a planetary war once because of my clumsiness and Way Big's muscles. I mean, I did stop another as Rath, who has even less chill than Heatblast, but that's another story."

"Not only that, but the place Ben lives in will legally consider him as an adult when he's 21 years old, so by human standards, Ben is really just a child." explained Rook, receiving a glare from his partner.

"Hmm, yeah. Anyway, Azmuth said he will let me use Master Control when I'm 18. I don't feel like waiting another two years for that to happen, so just wait until we can figure this out." he said as he attempted to go hero again, to no avail.

_'Part of me wishes Azmuth could hear us to help us, the other wants him not to because I don't want to wait three more years to use the Omnitrix the way I want'_

He tried touching the dial over and over, all he did was looking like he was doing some elaborate kung-fu moves. Rook wanted to ask questions about it before receiving a powerful jab on the shoulder.

"OUCH! What was that for?!"

"Sorry," apologized Ben, "I thought I could get the watch to activate if I put the face-plate on a surface, and you were the closest thing to me."

"You couldn't have tried that on yourself?" Rook raised a frustrated brow.

Ben felt like an idiot when he tried several dozen times but all he did was slap his whole arm on his face without ever touching the damn watch. If it didn't trigger the Omnitrix's dial to open up, it did make the Halloween trio laugh at Ben's antics.

The whole scene was just so distracting and funny compared to the all horror they lived in the last few hours, they didn't even notice as the commander got near them and Ben flinched as the big guy suddenly got in front of him, silencing everyone that started enjoying the show.

"Why are you not taking stance like the others?" angrily hissed the Vladat.

"Sorry, but I'm doing different things from everyone else for a good reason. You would know if you knew who I was." smugly retorted Ben, before being seized by his collar.

"A mere human being, defying the all-mighty Chief Frey, last commander of the 10th squadron of Anur Vladias' fiercest army, 108,454 years prior to the Transylians' rebellion! Who do you think you are, you insolent little brat! I will..."

A purple light shone from Ben's Corruptura, and the commander suddenly stopped talking. He took a close look at Ben, before putting him down.

"My sincerest apologies to our Lord." he said, bowing before resuming his rounds and walking away.

Ben stayed several minutes speechless at whatever happened in front of him.

"Who?! What?! Wha?! What was that about?!" he shouted in confusion, suddenly gasping for air, even though he wasn't actually hurt.

"Calm down there, kid." said Viktor, before Ben gave him the most crazed look he saw in ages.

"One thing at a time, Tennyson, one thing at a time."

"What was that?! Why did he put leave me alone after almost sending me flying through the roof?!"

"Let me see your face closer, maybe that Corruptura did something that changed his mind." Viktor demanded. He was met with Ben's distrustful look.

"What?"

Ben just glared at the scientist, his hands crossed. No way he'd let this guy get near him. He's the one who caught him, he tried to murder him and his family several times, and he helped resurrect Lord Transyl. That he hates and doesn't want around at all. Okay, maybe that guy was just working for Zs'Skayr, but that didn't undo the damage he made, Ben already learned his lesson with Phil before, technically twice.

"Ugh, I swear I won't bite, I have many degrees in medicine, remember? I will know if you have any kind of special rash or skin disease that made Frey go away. Pretty sure it's your normal face that scared him though."

"A doctor, huh? And who gave you that doctorate?!" asked Ben, not calming down the least.

Okay, what was up with him? One second ago, he was being smooth, now he was just a plain wreck. Was he bipolar or just fooling around? His face had gotten so pale when he got caught...

"Your Earth schools, and a couple of other schools across the galaxy. Hmm, this is just like when you were still a ten year-old, you get defensive when you don't even know if you need to, why are you so-" he stopped. "Are you having a panic attack?"

Ben's behavior was suddenly more obvious to them now. The nervousness, the sudden mood swings, his emotions simply getting out of control. He tried to regain some composure after that claim. He shook his head in denial.

"I'm just, thinking this is a bad idea. I don't know if you can be trusted, you still work for Zs'Skayr, right?" It took Viktor some time to answer.

"While I still honor my Master's wishes and am still loyal to him, I know he ignores how much of a mistake he's making and I would do anything to stop him as of right now." he calmly responded. "Now, are you letting me examine you? Or would you like a lollipop after it's done?" he teased.

Ben rolled his eyes. Was this seriously the same guy that tried to kill him two days ago? Was he even there, chatting with his enemies? Was he even bothered by it? Why did it feel good to talk to them in a scary situation like this though? Did he mind receiving comfort from these guys? Would he talk about it? Heck no. He wasn't there for therapy, or a visit.

Taking in another loud breath, he begrudgingly accepted the Frankenstein creature's help.

"Hmph! Fine." he said, his muscles, to his dismay, able to make him walk over to Viktor.

"Teenagers." sneered Viktor.

As he observed the teen's face, he noticed something different about him. Upon closer inspection, Ben's Corruptura had different attributes from the rest of them: its wings were a bit bigger than other Corrupturas' and so were its horns. Tiny black tendrils coming out of it were blending into Ben's skin, a tiny purple jewel above its singular eye. Its slit pupil was a little larger than what he saw with the others. It wasn't the same Corruptura they were used to.

"This is... unexpected, to say the least." he admitted.

"Why's that? What's going on? Am I turning into a vampire or something?" Ben asked. He received a huff from Scout.

"Contrary to popular belief, Anur aliens are different from the creatures Earthlings see in movies. We're not resurrected dead people or people got bit by a monster and became like this." he explained.

"I know that, it's just that the last time I saw Zs'Skayr before he tried stealing Hedorium, he tried to use Corrodium to turn my entire planet into weird zombies. I had to fight a  _zombie cow_  because of his weird plans. Then I had to fight the gang he had back then at the NASA, you know, the one that got the Anur aliens available in my Omnitrix." he turned to Viktor. "You were there when that happened, remember? You were the one powering up the machine to destroy us all, me and my planet, before getting yourself stuck in the Null Void."

"Yes, but while I want to argue it was your fault I ended up in there, we have more important matters to take care of now. You're in trouble, Tennyson."

"Uhh, what does that mean?"

"Your Corruptura was perfectly identical to ours until it was boosted up. Thankfully, I kept up with Anur Transyl's history of slavery with Vladats, I know what we're dealing with. This one was tailored for Lord Transyl's own specific desires, it wouldn't just give orders to you. It would warn Lord Transyl if you were in danger and would immediately activate as a warning. If you're threatened, it'll glow and Lord Transyl will see through its eye. Right now it's inactive since Frey left you alone, but if you get in trouble again, he'll know where you are and how to find you."

"I don't understand, why would he do that? Does he care about his hostages?"

Ben felt that if everyone could move, they'd either throw death glares at him or simply maul him on the spot.

"No, it takes a lot of energy to make one like this and only the most powerful Vladats could make one. If he wants to keep you safe, it's probably as a prize or a sign of victory on his behalf."

Ben rolled his eyes again. "Wouldn't be the first time a maniac does this. At least I had Gwen and Kevin with me most of the time I got into a mess like this. No offense, guys, I just miss them a lot, you know?"

"None taken." said his fellow prisoners. He sighed.

"I got thrown off a space ship into space, a Dracula ripoff wants me as a trophy on his conquering shelf, the people of this planet are against me, I can't use the watch, and I have regrets. Nothing new in short. Still, thanks for staying with me through this hell of a ride (even though you can't leave either)."

They looked at him.

"Look, guys, I'm not saying we should be best friends forever, but maybe we can get along on taking Lord Transyl down. I know it's tough when I try to put you under arrest about ninety-percent of the time, but if we're stuck in this together, maybe we can get out of it together."

He waited. He didn't really expect an answer from the three criminals and it was fine, they had to to trust him but they didn't have to stop being his enemies.

"Rad?" he asked.

"This plan sucks." said the duck in a deadpan tone.

"It's our only plan for now, but we'll figure it out. Heroes always do."

"Ahem, Ben" said Rook, unsure if he should speak up. "There are a lot of fairy tales and real-life reports that counteract your point. Oh", he said as he saw Ben glaring at him, "you were just saying it like that."

"Is imprisonment making you miss out the obvious even more than usual, Rook?" Ben teased.

"Don't make me get down here." Rook teased back, looking down (literally) at his partner. "Scout, what do you say?"

"We don't have a lot of choices, I'll deal with these three later. Maybe some of their charges can be excused."

"You say that as if we could backstab you so quickly after getting free." sighed Kuphulu. "Our bodies won't be in top shape when we gain our control on them back. I honestly wouldn't complain to be thrown in a Plumbers' cell if I can finally rest a bit after this madness."

"Hey Tennyson." said Crüjo.

"Hm?"

The werewolf alien gave Ben what looked like a glare, before finally saying "I still think you're trouble, but if there's a chance in hell we win, I'll take it, even coming from you."

Ben smiled.

"You should really meet Kai, she would  _really_  love to tame you with that attitude."

The following growl clued Ben that he might have lost his chest had Crüjo been able to move and scratch it off his skin. He laughed. Maybe it wasn't so bad to have some company, regardless of where it came from. He felt more relaxed with people around to talk to, at least he wasn't bound, chained to a wall and gagged to be tortured by some sadistic army commander like Reiny's friends did to his cousin Ken and his Grandpa Max once.

He actually felt safe now. It wasn't a Dream Team, but they've had more chances to win if Zs'Skayr's own underlings on their side for the time being. Rook was at his side, as faithful and good advice of a partner as always. He wasn't alone and still had the watch. He could wait for something to happen, now wasn't the time to panic or stress out.

He could think about what Lord Transyl planned to do with him later. For now, he was more inclined to find something to eat. A growl reminded him that he hadn't eaten in, what, a day and a half? There was no sun to tell him and he spent more time having people on this planet criticize him and pelting him with rotten food than taking the time to eat, sleep or even have some alone time. A Vladat maid (he noticed how old-fashioned dead people brought back to existence could be) came in to serve them food plates. He wasn't sure it could count as food if it looked like purple mass with bugs and dirt on it, definitely felt like prison, but at least it looked like what Max made on their summer road-trip.

He thought back to Earth, where Grandpa Max was probably waiting for him to come back. He probably didn't know how the mission truly went and had no idea of how worse the situation has come to. But Ben knew he would make it back to his home planet, he lived worse. He grimaced when he saw he was the only one who was bothered by what they got served, but gulped down his stuff as he kept looking at the dungeons' door, just in case an escape plan could be made.

Unbeknownst to him and the others, a predatory shadow was observing them from the ceiling above. A smirk growing on his lips, Lord Transyl was eager to start playing with his new slave. He had never marked anyone this way before, as none of his opponents ever managed to make that good of a struggle and stay alive afterwards.

He took his finger to his chin, thinking of what to do with the human. The child was so fierce, yet it was obvious he dreaded their next encounter. Otherwise, he wouldn't have behaved so cowardly when facing the commander, it made no sense. Unless the child was afraid.

He chuckled at the idea that he could've so easily instilled fear of Vladats in a such defiant spirit. Especially since, as the boy himself and the Ectonurite claimed, Ben Tennyson had saved the universe numerous times from different threats. Who could've thought this world's hero was so fragile, he would ask his own enemies for help?

Nevertheless, he had proven to be able to achieve quite a feat, impressing the ruler at every occasion they've had to meet. It was a shame such a strong spirit has sided with the wrong side of things, the boy could've been praised and would've received the recognition of his value, something only Lord Transyl could still see in the boy's weakest moments.

He would enjoy very much breaking that spirit of his, bending it to his own will, impose dominance over the teen, to have him show only obedience towards his rightful master and to be submissive to anything the lord would take him through. Yes, it would be an enjoyable experience. It will take time, but he had all the time in the world to do so. Humans were mortals, not only were they easy to eliminate, they didn't live long. And Ben Tennyson would be no exception to that rule.

He was annoyed as the Ectonurite - that he still refused to call by his name - interrupted his musings.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy observing the progress of my taking up of power on my new army and people?"

"It wasn't in my intention to bother you, Lord Transyl." apologized Zs'Skayr. "But there's a threat incoming. Fleets are heading towards our base."

"I thought you took care of ridding this planet from any contact with the outside world."

"I did, but that's the problem. We're not targeted by Plumbers or any kind of galactic police."

Lord Transyl sighed.

"Who are we dealing with then?" he asked in frustration.

"The Incurseans."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in this chapter, Ben made truce with his enemies and we discover the aftermaths of the last chapter on his mental state. Now, what is he gonna do with the incoming invasion?
> 
> Phew! I had a lot of work with this one, hope you guys like it.
> 
> There's a Buffy reference in this chapter, as well as a math pun. Can you find them?
> 
> Thanks for reading this guys, it really means a lot to me, even if you don't like this kind of stuff (I'd ask why you'd still be reading, but to each their own choices).
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter, reviews are always welcome, and have a good (hero!) time!
> 
> Bye bye!


	4. Chapter 3: Distrust

Admiring herself in the mirror, Princess Attea, light of the Incursean empire, destroyer of galaxies, keeper of the conquest ray, all living creatures-

"Princess?"

Ugh. Interrupting her self-care session, Attea turned to Raff, clearly annoyed by his disruption.

"What do you want, Raff? I don't have time for this, I need to look ready. You know, showing those Anur freaks their next empress? I can't let myself look bad in front of them, otherwise they'll think I'm one of them!" she laughed at her own joke.

"It is about the Anur System, princess Attea." he said, trying not to be a bother to her majesty. "As you know, we have been aware that Anur Transyl and its nearby planets' connections to the rest of the universe were cut off a week ago."

"Yes, that's why I've been looking forward to conquer them, no Plumbers or annoying goody-two shoes stopping me from adding another galaxy to my collection." she proudly announced.

"Um, yes, but some of our scouts have informed us that there was a new emperor on Anur Transyl. The reports were suspiciously short and we couldn't contact them back. We suspect they have been either bribed into switching sides or captured. Although we do have what we need to counter any special ability coming from the Anur system inhabitants, it seems there's a new species on the surface."

"What?! You're telling me someone else - a complete stranger at that - took  _my_  future conquest while we were still looking for another planet?!" she fumed.

Sensing the Princess's anger, Raff made the smart choice of leaving the room, after bowing, calling Attea by her title (almost getting a helmet on the face while doing so), and ran off to meet the other commanders on board.

Sighing, she cooled down and turned back to her mirror before announcing "That's not a big deal. I still have one of the biggest armies this universe possesses. What's a few more rivals to us? Either they give up and go away, or they bite. Hah. What do they have to say to that?"

* * *

"So you're telling me they were the ones who destroyed their own planet? And I thought they couldn't have been desperate back then..." Lord Transyl said as he brought his hand to his face, visibly tired.

"Yes, it was unexpected but according to what the spies we uncovered said, that was their plan since the beginning." Zs'Skayr said as he flew next to Lord Transyl through the underground training area, where most slaves either bit the dust or put up a fight. They couldn't conquer the rest of the universe with a weak army, could they?

"Hmph! When my planet was destroyed, it was because of a coup d'état made by our own soldiers, not a cowardly emperor desperately clinging to his money like the one I encountered back then." he sighed.

The passing week has been uninteresting, to say the least. For someone who was revived from the dead, coming back to life was unexpectedly boring. It had taken him hours to finally regain the power he lost, plenty of time making sure his abilities were as good as they were millennia ago, re-positioned his old troops the way they were before being decimated, and finally, he had to prepare for the oncoming Incursean invasion.  
How did those frogs get that many weapons in such a short time? It has only been, what, only a little more than five million years? It didn't make any sense. But at the same time, nobody expected Lord Transyl's return from beyond the grave. Or the circumstances surrounding it.

He observed as his army was tiring itself out practicing their skills. It would be so easier if they willingly made an effort during training, otherwise they wouldn't be in pain as their bodies were forced to move against their will. But that would take the Vladats owning them's fun away, and there wouldn't be a reason to observe the army's current progress now, would it?

However, something picked the ruler's curiosity. He noticed a group of people that were sitting in the nearby cell, probably being told to rest before following their master's bidding. Unlike the rest of the population, they seemed quieter and weren't moaning out of pain like the annoying other prisoners next to their cell. He walked away from the Ectonurite's plan explaining and leaned against the wall near the cell, careful of not being seen. As he got closer, he recognized Zs'Skayr's henchmen among them, along with the troupe of outsiders he enslaved and...

His own slave.

The green-eyed human was in there, lying down on an old bed and talking to the Revonnahgander. He seemed to be more relaxed than the rest of them. Ironic, as he was the first one to have witnessed the death of a teammate. Lord Transyl wondered if his slave was aware of his presence. He already proved himself to be resourceful and unpredictable when attempting to oppose the old king, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine he could sense his new master when he was around if he had something else to reveal.

The boy quite pulled off a feat as a potential threat and the most determined creature Lord Transyl met, it would've been much better had the boy been a true Vladat instead of being able to copy one. It was obviously impossible for one to learn how to be a Vladat unless one was born one. It only took some minutes against 'Whampire' to see how unfitting it was for a human. Thankfully it was impossible to taint an entire species' reputation such as theirs that way, otherwise the boy's reckless behavior could be seen as mocking an entire nation's population. He probably caused a planetary war like this once or twice due to his changeling havoc, the device on his arm causing it.

Now Lord Transyl was informed a Galvan made it, for the sake of making peace with the rest of the universe by sharing the experience of being a species different from the wearer's. It was extremely naive and uncharacteristically idiotic of a Galvan to think such a weapon could be used to make peace. The 'Omnitrix' could help infiltrate other planets with an efficient disguise, use a stronger creature's strength to beat the odds against an opponent, go into dangerous environments with the immunity being another species could give.

Of course, while the ruler wouldn't use it for himself, as he already had the strength he needed, it was satisfying to know he now had all of that power in his grasp. He heard thousands of people across the galaxy had attempted to steal the weapon away from its bearer, and while he wasn't one of them, the thought of winning over millions of rivals the child was put against gave him a feeling of victory, of power. He grinned devilishly as he thought of how much the child would be affected when he would realize he couldn't get away this time. The idea of toying with his new slave made him forget the exhaustion that came with rebuilding his empire from scratch. Perhaps this child did manage to do something right despite his new predicament: thinking of him made Lord Transyl more content with having him in his possession.

"Ben, I can understand you are hungry, but even I could not eat these insects this fast. Especially not since they are so... moldy." said the Revonnahgander in understandable disgust towards his plate. Slaves didn't necessarily need to feed. They were expandable, it was sometimes easier to get another one if one of them starved.

"Trust me, Rook. When I tell you that Grandpa Max's cooking deserves to be presented with a toxic hazard, I'm not joking. We ate beetle droppings once on our road-trip, I'm not sure I mind prison food this much now." the boy responded with a tired eye. Not because of what the ruler subjected him to, but in recoil of his horrifying past food experience.

He smiled as he saw the child talking to his cellmates without a care in the world. Recovering from a 'disciplining session' usually took months for a personal slave, or at least slaves belonging to other Vladats, as Ben Tennyson was the first one the king ever took for himself. Humans were usually the weakest and easiest creatures to conquer, it wasn't to be expected that one would find himself owned by nobility, much less someone as high in the hierarchy as Lord Transyl. This human, regardless of his kind, was able to regain his composure after a few days. He wasn't like any other human existing in the universe, he was special. Breaking him promised to be  _very_  tempting at the moment.

He decided to make his presence known and, ignoring the very much disgusting spider webs and bugs on the walls and on the cell's entrance, he entered the room.

"Greetings."

Silence replaced the prisoners' chatting and they looked towards the speaker with clear anger (well, except for the duck). They weren't expecting a visit from him and definitely didn't want one, but it wasn't like they decided how things were. It wasn't most pleasing to be forced to act against your will either, the most defiant they could be was ignoring their opponent or sending him a death glare. Viktor spoke up.

"What do you want, monster?" he growled.

"You know what I want,  _Transylian_." Lord Transyl smugly answered. He was the one who gave this planet its current name and its inhabitants were forced to adapt to their master's will. All documents on the planet's previous naming had been destroyed during the conquest, and Viktor was much obviously not in the mood to think of the humiliation his people had endured, only able to grit his teeth in response.

"Lay off, dude."

The voice came from his slave.

"He's just trying to piss you off because he's bored. I mean, I'd be too if I spent my entire time hanging with your master, but right now he just wants to mess with your head." The Transylian raised a brow at the young hero. "It's not worth it, trust me, I already met people like that in my age at school or at the Plumbers."

The Transylian gave the boy a look before sighing and cooling down. Had they not spent a few days talking over the issue, it was certain the doctor wouldn't have listened to the boy's advice and could've ended up joining Hobble in a nameless graveyard. At least talking things out helped both teams find a common ground beside wanting to overthrow Lord Transyl, and it was a good stress-relief.

Lord Transyl inspected the child. Surely, with this special Corruptura, he should be able to move around, right? They were usually reserved to slaves who couldn't move anymore or had been trained to do their masters' bidding on their own. They could of course be ordered around and forced to act against their will like any regular slave but they at least had a bit more freedom with their movements. Those slaves were very rare and he never truly understood the appeal for them, the stubborn and defiant attitude his current personal slave showed encouraging him to give it a try.

He expected the human to go to the training ground to practice for an escape, or interrogate other slaves to look for a way out of his master's control, or at the very least trying to force his way out the dungeons using whatever control over his body he had left. Most humans didn't like the environment the Anur Planets possessed, and many of them in the past attempted to eradicate the inhabitants out of fear and dislike of the non-human beings. The Ectonurite told him Ben Tennyson was no exception to that kind of behavior, and he simply thought that the ghost-like being was exaggerating his description of the teen's flaws.

But even then, why did the boy bother staying with these people?

They were responsible for the Vladats' rebirth and return to existence, they served the human's "greatest enemy in the whole galaxy" (he rolled his eyes at the supposedly true title) and they attempted to murder him more than once. He was supposed to be angry at them for trapping him, not stay calm in their presence as if nothing was wrong.

He decided to put that thought aside and raised his voice.

"There's a battle coming. If you're strong enough to stand a few shots from the Incursean army, I suppose there's a chance you might come back to this cell alive." he announced.

That brightened Ben's mood right away. If he was sent on battle, he could use the Omnitrix, and the light of his transformations would be strong enough to break the Corrupturas off. His sudden cheeriness did not go unnoticed.

"Fortunately for you, my dearest slave, you won't have to join the fight. You will accompany me and enjoy the sight of your companions for their lives from up the balcony. You won't need to harm yourself for this one" he said, cupping the boy's cheek, which almost instantly turned red in anger. "And before I forget..."

He took a hold of Ben's shoulder and, grasping the boy's shirt, he planted a kiss on Ben's forehead. This time it was much stronger than the last one, making Ben whimper in helplessness as the older man's teeth brushed against his skin. He groaned as Lord Transyl pulled away, a satisfied grin on the ruler's face.

"Now it won't come off as easily as the ones you've made before, with better sunlight resistance and a more direct mental link to me." He dug his fingers through the human's hair as the boy raised his head. "Maybe after seeing your companions' struggling, you'll finally understand that as your owner, I can't just let you rid me of you."

Ben was obviously annoyed by the Vladat's decision, but he couldn't really do anything about it. He sighed as he followed the king out of the cell, giving a last sad glance to a shattered Rook behind him. He sighed.

_'How am I gonna get myself out of this mess this time?'_

* * *

Fleets were setting down on the ground, soldiers in a fashion way too familiar to Ben's taste came out of them and started attacking. He looked closely as the Incurseans started shooting innocent citizens, solely for the sake of proving their dominance over the inhabitants of the planet.

Ben wondered if it was possible for him to die by getting fed up with this whole overdone gimmick. World domination, mind control, money, superiority, monologues, taking prisoners... Were villains out of ideas to make his life harder?!

He no longer felt unnerved by the Vladat's presence, only feeling anger and disdain for making him go through this. What was he? A trophy?! A medal?! Something that could be put on a shelf to be never picked up? Never did he feel so put aside before. At least other villains took killing him seriously and obsessed over putting an end to him. This one however just seemed to like the idea of making him feel useless by forcing him to stand over here and watch as everything he was supposed to protect burn down.

He couldn't even try and help his friends, they were on their own and he was alone, no possible way for him to join the battle and save everyone like he used to.

He clenched his fist as he felt the ruler's arm on his shoulder, barely hiding his anger as he felt the man whisper in his ear.

"Well, don't you appreciate seeing these weaklings waste their energy on each other, my slave?" he playfully asked in a husky voice.

"I'd appreciate it more if you let Anur alone for a decade or two." Ben snapped back to Lord Transyl's amusement.

"Now, now, don't you think it's a bit early for this? First, I must restore all of my power and health on this planet. Then, when I'll fully recover everything I have" he turned Ben around and got close to the boy's face "we can start looking for a new place to inhabit."

"We?"

"You're a prize, Ben Tennyson, remember that. Unlike other slaves, you're one of a kind, you're not expendable and I have to keep an eye on you at all times. I can't afford to lose you anywhere."

Ben swore he could feel the Corruptura on his head roll its eye at the terrible pun.

"I sure feel important, stuck in here with you, with the people I care about probably dying as we speak. Wow, how awesome, I'm having so much fun." Ben said in a monotone. He really couldn't care less about the whole ordeal. If every king in the Anur System was like this, Ben understood why everyone looked like undead monsters: he too felt dead inside with this jerk around. He was seized by his shirt's collar.

"Do not push your luck, Ben Tennyson. You're lucky enough that I've been busy with the preparations, I haven't had the time to enjoy seeing you at your weakest yet." threatened Lord Transyl, his patience put to the test.

"If you don't enjoy it right now, who's to say you ever will?" asked Ben, making Lord Transyl raise a brow. "I'm pretty vulnerable at the moment and I feel really sore, I  _really_  could use some exercising after spending my time in an old castle with old food and a senile old ghost haunting me for years."

"You'll have to wait until I allow you to act freely. Until then," he brushed Ben's hair, "make sure you still have that bracelet on you, it could be helpful for some... business." Ben wasn't sure he wanted to know what the vampire alien was implying. "Besides, you're still too strong to be called vulnerable."

"What makes you say that?"

Lord Transyl chuckled. "Maybe you need me to spell it out for you, my slave. You haven't begged for mercy, you haven't submitted yourself entirely to me yet, and," he brought his hand to Ben's cheek now, pulling their faces closer than ever before, "you still have that light of defiance I'm so fond of in you."

Ben stayed silent for a few minutes after what Lord Transyl had told him. For a second, he felt... unable to think. He wasn't able to take in what was happening and didn't know what to say, what to do, what was possibly going to happen in a few moments. He just stood there, his earlier sour mood disappearing without him noticing. For a moment, he wasn't moving or doing anything. Just lost in the ruler's eyes.

Without realizing it, he had raised his head and, his neck now exposed, he closed his eyes. He heard an eager hiss as he felt those sharp cold hands on his skin, possessively having a hold on him. Sensing the monarch's ever-growing hunger, he readied himself for the bite that would seal his fate as a king's new play toy.

It never came.

All Ben heard was a blast being fired and, daring to open his eyes, he found Lord Transyl on the ground, a hand over his fuming chest. He actually got shot.

Ben looked behind him, and before he could react, a giant sticky tongue wrapped itself around his chest, pulling him over before he landed... in Attea's arms.

"Attea?!"

"Surprised, Ben Tennyson? And I thought you would be the one holding me like this." she teased, looking away in a faux love-struck way. It didn't last because Ben started throwing some punches around. "Hey! Quit it! I'm not here to fight you!" She almost lost her balance on Zs'Balcony while blocking the kicks Ben tried to give.

_'Did she jump from the ground all the way up to the top of Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr? I mean, she's a frog. Or did she, like, go out of her ship and landed commando style in here?'_

"Then what are you here for?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Conquest, of course!" she proudly announced.

"Of course." he rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, what are these things? Is there a new monster carnival on this planet? What am I saying, it's always a monster carnival in here, everyone looks so ridiculously ugly!" she laughed. Somehow, Ben could tell that Zs'Skayr's henchmen, wherever they were, were begging to strangle her for saying that.

"Didn't you agree to stop attacking people last time?"

"Well, yes and no. I did agree to that deal, but it only concerned Earth. The other planets are fair game for me!"

Ben regretted not making a better deal during the last invasion, maybe he could've talked her out of villainy better back then, but now it seemed she was back to her old bratty ways.

"Can't we talk this out?"

"Hmm, unless you want to go back on your word and take control of Earth with me as Bullfrag, I don't see a reason to talk this over. Now," she said as she toyed with Ben's cheeks  _"who is gonna have a good time with his little favorite princess, hmm?_ " Ben felt like puking with her childish flirting. "Anyway, I hope the Omnitrix is recharged. I haven't seen Bullfrag in so long, I'd-"

She was interrupted by  _another_  shot being fired. Dodging it, she angrily turned to look down on the current battle underneath them.

Ben observed closely the planet's army fighting against the Incurseans, and he smiled as soon as he saw Rook, his Proto-Tool in hand, aiming at the princess. The Revonnahgander himself looked relieved as he saw that his partner wasn't injured.

"Sorry, Ben!" he said. "I was aiming for her!"

"You better!" teased Ben, still being held by the princess.

"Please, tell me if I'm ruining your moment by being here." said Attea in a bored tone, ready to hop off with her captive.

"Actually," said Lord Transyl, standing back up, his hand still on his chest, "yes, you are." He didn't look amused the least, obviously mad at her for interfering between him and Ben.

"Well, that's my cue." she announced, before jumping.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" Ben shouted as they fell down.

Who did Attea think she was? Aladdin? No, with her attitude, she was probably the Genie, except she wanted her petty wishes granted instead of making others' true. At least her physical condition allowed her to land on her feet with no seeming damage as she reached the battlefield. Ben however still felt like the fall was better than what everyone seemed to have in mind for him today.

* * *

She started running with Ben in hand -  _'When did she get this strong? Or did I just get lighter after spending a whole week eating Grandpa Max's equivalent of prison food? Man, I really need some chili fries after this.'_  - occasionally jumping on soldiers' heads when the crowd was too big. She was taking the direction to one of her ships, when a third shot was fired.

At Ben's chest.

Horrified, she stopped immediately in her tracks. Dropping him, she reached to his chest about to check on him, but the Omnitrix started beeping and a flash of green blinded her. Seconds after, Ben wasn't here anymore.

Bullfrag was.

Attea let out a scream of joy before wrapping her arms around the hero. Bullfrag smiled before standing back up, looking at where he got shot.

"Good thing I don't keep my wounds when I transform anymore, otherwise you'd be really single now." She pouted. "Didn't expect you to worry about me here" he teased, brushing her face. "You sure you're still the cold-blooded beauty I know?"

"Well... you know me, I... I can be very emotive too!" she awkwardly said, blushing, making the taller Incursean laugh a bit.

It didn't last though, because he suddenly felt cold shivers. For some reason, he could feel Lord Transyl's gaze aimed at him even though the man wasn't anywhere close. Worried, he put his hand on his forehead.

The Corruptura was still there, to his dismay. That was probably what the upgrade it had earlier this morning (night? How can you tell with no sun?) was for. But he could feel its eye being closed and struggling to open, which meant...

The control on his body was lowered. He could fight back. Ben Tennyson was back in action.

Overjoyed, Bullfrag jumped away. "Sorry, princess, but I can't play with you now, I have some heroing to do!"

"Hey! Come back here! We weren't done!" she growled.

How could he ruin such a romantic moment like that?! Who did he think he was to do that?!

She had the right to complain to be treated like this! After all, she was royalty, she deserved to be with her Bullfrag more than the weird guy she saw earlier with him. (what were they doing together on the balcony until she came in anyway?)

Totally unfair.

* * *

Bullfrag jumped his way through the battle, avoiding soldiers here and there. It was however difficult, as he was both an Incursean and one of the slaves, both sides attacked him.

People mistook him for the enemy and tried to gang on him. He thought he recognized Viktoria in the crowd, but pushed her aside. Right now, he didn't feel like cuddling anyone.

The town was seriously damaged, so many houses were destroyed and burnt down. He winced in disgust, realizing the same thing could've happened to Earth if he didn't intervene every time. Well, usually if it happened, it was because he was the one thrashing things down, but at least Plumbers immediately paid for damage after he left. When battles were  _really_  getting destructive, he just took it out of town to prevent people from being harmed.

But this?

This was terrible.

Nobody cared for the innocents, nobody wanted to make peace, they just wanted the same thing: wealth.

He remembered when he failed to calm a war between two sides of a planet: a red and a blue. At the end, they stopped fighting each other to fight  _him_ instead, but all they wanted was an excuse to explain the economy crisis of the planet's inhabitants.

When would he ever find a compassionate villain with something else in mind than petty cliched goals, he wondered. At least Lord Transyl didn't seem that much sadistic despite how he openly taunted him and mocked him for trying to save the world. He did recognize Ben's combativeness though, and it did make Ben a little prouder of himself.

Why was the Vladat still keeping him around though? Ben wasn't that useful without the Omnitrix. He didn't know a lot about planet-conquering strategies, he wasn't a warrior in the blood like Looma and Rath were, he had little knowledge in technology, and he already did a lot of stuff against Zs'Skayr now.

What did Lord Transyl want him for? If he didn't want Ben to fight for him, what was the point? What did make him interested in Ben now? He said he liked Ben's strong spirit, but how was that any useful? He claimed to have, with Ben, the strongest mind in the universe, so what could Ben do that he couldn't? Why did he enjoy having Ben around? Why didn't he like when Ben was with someone else? Why did he enjoy showing so much dominance over Ben only, beside the fact they were on opposite sides?

Why did he bother make a special Corruptura just for him? If he didn't like having his own slave before, what made him change his mind now? Did he just want to show he had the greatest hero in the galaxy under control? No, that couldn't be it. Ben had failed to save everybody during the first encounter with him. That was a bad first impression, especially for someone who was recently brought to life by the wonders of science. Then why did he still want him?

Wait, why was he thinking about Lord Transyl in the first place? He needed to find his friends! Not ponder for hours as to why some bad guy turned him into a human accessory!

He was interrupted from his musings as he finally found who he was looking for.

His team (and Zs'Skayr's subordinates) were there. He found them far from the battlefield, resting in an alley, visibly bruised and injured from the invasion.

"There you guys are!".

"Be-... Ben..." weakly said Scout.

"Oh my god, you okay?!" he asked, kneeling down to the poor Loboan, who whimpered in pain in response.

"What happened to you guys?" he asked.

"We..." answered Crüjo "we were sent... to look where the Incursean princess... was heading..." he said in-between hard breaths.

"She was asking me on a date. What happened next?"

"We had to" he coughed "we had to stay and wait for orders. So when we didn't find her..."

"We were attacked..." said Viktor.

Bullfrag decided to waste no time. He ran to Kuphulu and attempted to wake the mummy up.

"Dude, your friends need your help. Care to give me a bandage or too? Hello?" he said as he kept shaking the thief up.

He suddenly felt horrified at the prospect of letting someone else die in front of him, and checked Kuphulu's pulse. Pressing his head against the Thep Kufan's chest, he started trembling when he didn't hear any heartbeat.

No. No, he couldn't-

"His head."

Bullfrag turned to Rook, who was resting on a wall, not without some trouble doing so.

"What?"

"Thep Kufans have their vital organs in their heads. That's why Snare-Oh's head is covered with a headpiece." Rook explained.

"Yeah, otherwise I'd be brain dead all the time without it. Like a real zombie." said Bullfrag, earning a common groan from everyone. Good, they were awake enough to be mad at his jokes.

He checked Kuphulu's bandaged face. Thank goodness, he could feel the guy's heart (brain? Why did he never ask anyone about it?) beating. He managed not to lose someone at least. It made him feel weird, to feel concerned about a criminal who attacked him.

"Hmm, he's unconscious, and I can't use his bands without him approving."

"I'm surprised you didn't try yet." said Crüjo, still painfully laying on his back.

"I took a nap as Snare-Oh once as a kid. Gwen thought it'd be funny to use my bands as toilet paper, I'm not sure how I didn't hear her scream when she tugged on me and I tied her up on instinct in my sleep." he snickered, remembering the mess he made and the lecture that ensued the incident.

"You humans, you really don't know where your limits stand." Crüjo laughed.

"Being ignorant is what made me so confident in beating you guys down." Bullfrag declared with a proud smirk.

The Loboan just rolled his eyes at what the human-turned-Incursean said. At least the kid wasn't panicking or being rash like last time, he was back to his usual cocky self. Maybe things on Anur Transyl could be back to normal someday too. At least, he hoped.

"Okay, I can try to take your Corrupturas off, guys. Rad, you wanna try first?" Bullfrag asked.

"Meh" answered Rad.

The frog alien launched his tongue at the duck alien's forehead, sticking it on the purple fiend and pulling. Instead of taking off the bat-like creature, he pulled Rad to him and in an instant, he received a closed fist on his sunglasses.

"Ouch." said the four others.

"Hey, why did you do that?!" said the teen, cupping his swollen green cheek.

"First, I'm still angry because you ruined my ship. Second, you waited until now to help. And third, my body moves on its own, I would've punched you even if I didn't want to."

"You sound like Kevin with his car."

"If I was that Kevin guy, I'd drive away from you instead of driving you somewhere." said Rad in his perfectly stoic nasal voice.

"This conversation is driving  _me_ insane." said a tired Rook.

"Hey Scout!"

"Yes, Ben?" said Scout.

"Is it fine if I leave this guy in the dungeons instead of freeing him when everything is solved?"

"Hmm, I'll see if I can overlook it." joked Scout.

"Heh, playing thug now?" teased Crüjo.

"More like tolerating a gang until you pay for your actions, bad boy." growled Scout, to Crüjo's amusement.

"Um, guys" said Bullfrag "we're supposed to fight Lord Transyl, not each other. Come on, let's just find somewhere to hide and I'll try contacting the Plumbers."

"Sorry Ben" apologized Rook, "but we were told to put the rest of the communications available out of order when you were gone. Including... the signal emitted by your Omnitrix."

"What?! I thought Azmuth reinforced the watch's system to prevent anybody from hacking into it, he kept blabbering about it the day after I beat Diagon. You're telling me he made the new watch without thinking someone could jam the signal?!"

"Well, I did not expect Zs'Skayr retaining memory of the Omnitrix's system after being trapped and escaping from it twice either."

"That Galvan did a pretty good job though," sighed Viktor, "my hands are still sore from all the programming I had to do. Come to think of it, where is that damned Vladat now?"

Bullfrag reverted back into Ben as Viktor asked that question. Suddenly, the Corruptura on his forehead (didn't even look like it had a single scratch!) opened its eye fully and shone an extremely strong purple light through the dark. It was a wonder how light-fearing beings could produce something this light-inducing.

"I... think he's on his way." Ben responded.

"Ya think?!"

Indeed, they could hear the Vladat's displeased groan through the planet's eternal night. He probably saw where Ben was, and needless to say, the thought that Ben came back to the prisoners probably angered him. Everyone gulped as they were suddenly forced to stand up straight, all going in line, except for Ben.

"Yeaahh, he sounds  _pretty_  mad."

"Uuuuggghhh... Am I... dead?"

Ben turned to Kuphulu who finally woke up, and he felt like he could fly when he realized the mummy's Corruptura had turned to dust when he timed out right in front of the guy.

"Dude! You're okay! Thank god, I thought I'd have someone else to bury!"

"Tennyson?" he asked in pain. "Ouch! My ears! My head! Could you speak  _any_  louder?"

"Heh, glad you're okay." said Ben, smirking.

"Ugh, why do you care? You must kill people at least twice a day with your Omnitrix, not like I'm gonna make a difference to  _you_." he said, disdain dripping from his voice. Ben's eyes widened.

No, he didn't kill people, that's not a heroic thing to do.

Even when he was just a kid, at worst he liked beating up bad guys to get famous, not out of spite, he never went for the kill. The only times he didn't restrain himself were with Vilgax or villains he knew would always come back. Like Zs'Skayr. Why did everyone here seem so fixated on the idea he was a terrible person? Then he realized something.

It finally hit him. The people of this planet, Zs'Skayr's henchmen, other planets cut off from the outer world. They didn't know him. At best they've had news from Scout since he was the local Plumber, but that was it. They've never heard of him before, probably just rumors. Did they even have access to the Extranet in here? Probably not, otherwise they would've recognized him on sight. Heck, Scout himself said he was lonely, which meant he didn't get to talk a lot with his own people.

So that's why the town had no idea of who he was. To them, he wasn't just a stranger. With his powers and (relatively) out of their worlds look, he was a monster.

To them, he was an alien.

_'I thought they were cool the first time I saw them. Okay, being pelted with rotten food sucks, but they looked cool with their movie monster stuff. Now I wonder what kind of movies they have about_ humans.  _It probably doesn't do me much justice. At least compared to what I had on Earth when some people thought I was a menace, it's not that bad."_

Well, they didn't file a lawsuit against him yet, so it wasn't so bad. His uncle Frank probably didn't have enough degrees to be considered capable of dealing with intergalactic trials, so he may have dodged a bullet.

"Look, dude. I know what you think, and you have the wrong idea. I didn't-"

"Aha! Found you!"

Ben mentally apologized to the part of womankind he offended when he thought it was good to be followed by fangirls, because as of now, it seemed that Attea had nothing else in mind (beside conquering Anur Transyl) but tracking him down, and it felt painfully terrible to know she was looking forward that much in taking him away. She was now standing at the outside of the alley, walking towards Ben's group, a ray gun in hand.

"Tennyson, did your mother never teach you it's a really bad thing to leave a girl hanging, especially after a kiss?" she winked.

Ben felt surprised eyes on him, and not the kind Eye Guy has. Rook seemed to find the situation funny though.

"First of all, I didn't leave you hanging, when we're not even dating. Second of all, I didn't kiss you!  _You're_  the one who kissed  _me_! And for the record, I don't think  _licking me on the cheek_  counts as a kiss." he protested, feeling the need to clarify. For some reason, Crüjo and Scout were staring at each other after Ben said that, as if the statement made them confused.

"Oh, don't be so touchy. I mean, didn't you say last time you "saw me in a whole different way" after helping me get my dad arrested?" she playfully asked.

"Yes. Yes, I did." he grumbled. "But I-"

"Enough."

Both teens turned to meet Lord Transyl's beyond pissed face.

"Is it me, or we're getting crowded in here?" asked Attea.

The vampire lord swiped at the girl's direction. She dodged, sending a blast towards him. Lord Transyl launched himself towards her, only for Attea to jump over him and  _actually stepping on his head_. An angry growl came from the man as he raised his hand, and Ben saw his teammates moving forward.

"What?!" exclaimed Ben. "You can't send them on the battlefield like this, they're too beaten up already!"

"Silence." Lord transyl merely answered, much to Ben's annoyance.

He looked as Attea was thrown into the wall by Crüjo's sonic howl. When she recovered from the shock, she sent a punch at the wolf man, who didn't dodge. Then Viktor and Rook fired at her with electricity blasts and the Proto-Tool's laser, but they missed. Came Scout and Rad's turn, in which Rad managed to catch the girl, as well as uppercutting her. Scout started biting Attea down, then the situation definitely got worse when Ben saw the girl pull a remote from her hand, pressing on a button.

"What did you do, you little scum?!" hissed Lord Transyl.

Rad got distracted by what the man said, and Attea took advantage of it to send a swift kick into the duck's face ("Weak", she noted). With Rad taken care of, she stuck her tongue on Scout, catching him and launching him out of the alley. As she ran out, Ben tried to follow, but he was restrained.

"Stay out of this." Lord Transyl told the boy. "This is a fight to determine this planet's emperor and I'm set to end it victorious."

"Let me go! I know how to fix this! I've fought her before! I can take care of myself!"

"No, you can't. You're my slave, you must stay and obey me."

"You can't force me to stay back! You can't beat her without me!" Ben retorted.

"You would help me rule this planet?" Lord Transyl asked, a smirk upon his dark lips.

Ben paused.

If he didn't defeat Attea, Anur Transyl would be destroyed and all of its resources would wind up in the Incursean's hands. He could then contact Earth and return home as soon as Attea was the one in control. But so many innocents would die, families would lose their homes, and they'd put the blame on him since it happened after he arrived in there, even if they didn't know he was the one letting her destroy their planet.

And if he fought her, Lord Transyl would still be in command, and nothing ever since he was captured would've changed. He couldn't contact the Plumbers and would stay prisoner, but at least the planet would stay in one piece. Even if the ruler had proven himself to be ruthless, he at least didn't actively damage the planet Ben was currently in like every other madman that wanted his head hung on their wall did (far away in some other galaxy, Vilgax loudly sneezed. Feeling Ben Tennyson was responsible for it, he cursed the boy while hoping he wasn't catching a cold like the day the teen brought Petropia back to life).

"I wasn't suggesting that you'd join, my slave. Stay here and I'll entertain you later." he maliciously said, patting Ben's shoulder before running off to catch up with Attea, his army of Ben's friends following behind.

All except Kuphulu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chappie, coming right up!


	5. Chapter 4: A whammy re-entrance

The mummy was still there, shivering, relieved that the vampire being was too busy "chatting" with the human to realize he was free from his control.

Noticing him hanging onto the wall, Ben ran to him.

"Kuphulu, I need your help!"

"Wha... What."

"You're the only one who's not under control and I can't touch the watch. Choose an alien, any of them, and help me go hero."

"No."

"What?! Why?! This isn't the time to argue, your home is in danger."

"It was in danger when you came in it and started attacking my master."

"Zs'Skayr attacked me more than that before. When I was a kid, when he tried to murder Gwen, when he mutated my entire planet into infected zombies working for him, when he launched his own ghost army on my planet and possessed some townspeople, when he forced  _Vilgax_ to team up with me because I was the only one who could defeat your master. And you know what? I don't care."

"Huh?!"

"I don't care if you think I'm the bad guy, or if you think what Zs'Skayr did was justified." Ben declared. "I'm not trying to convince you, I didn't even want to fight him in the first place!"

Silence.

"I don't want to beat people up, I just want to be a hero and save the world. I know I look like a threat to you because I broke into your house and tried to stop your boss from freeing Dr. Viktor, but I didn't even know he was on board with us. Neither of them, actually. I came in here, thinking I just needed to play the mailman for alien tech. If I knew your boss was back in business, maybe I would've tried to fight him, but I know he used to be the king of his species, and I swore last time not to get too involved in royalty issues."

Kuphulu eyed Ben suspiciously. He didn't trust the kid, at all. But something told him he was missing something in this story, especially now that he heard what his master's previous attempts of getting the boy were.

"Look, I'm bad at doing this kind of stuff. I helped make peace with the Highbreed before, but I was under pressure! People of my planet were suffering from the invasion -  _just like this one!_  - and it was hard for me to solve everything like I did. I usually punch stuff and that's about it. I didn't think things would escalate so fast, I didn't even notice how much trouble I was in when my planet discovered who I was."

"Who you were?"

"Yeah! I never told them about my powers until a kid in my town uncovered the truth about who the aliens saving the Earth were. I got fans, journalists, photographers and so on, following me around. I didn't think my powers would cause problems, but way too many people in my town thought I was a menace."

"Even them?" Kuphulu snickered.

"Yes." Ben calmly answered, which silenced the Thep Khufan again. "I was different from them, I had superpowers, I could fly, I was strong, in a way they could hardly copy. So even if some people admired me, others disliked me and thought I was a danger. Even the superhero I admired the most in the world became a supervillain just because I was getting famous fair and square, when I didn't even know some of the crimes he solved were staged to make me look bad and make him look good." he actually seemed to feel guilty about it, even though jealous vigilantes weren't uncommon.

"I can't even talk with my family and friends without causing them problems! Gwen's classmates left her to talk to me because they found me more interesting than her (the nerve!), my ex-girlfriend got harassed by journalists before we broke up, and I think Kevin hates my fame because I'm being an attention magnet and it makes following me harder, especially since we used to fight all the time and he doesn't like when the same crowd who made fun of him is the one praising  _me_." Ben sighed in frustration. "And I don't want to show off to the people I care about, I don't want to look better than anyone, I don't want to hurt anyone!" he brought his palm to his face, visibly upset.

For the first time ever since the human came, Kuphulu felt the kid wasn't actively trying to be an annoyance.

"Is it too much to ask for some people to understand I want to help? This time, I messed up, I messed up big, and everyone in here is suffering because of me. If I acted earlier, if I had a better plan, if I didn't try to take the bad guys on my own like I always want to, I could've avoided this, and it's normal to hate me because I didn't." he paused, looking aside. "I have to fix this, even if everyone hates me for it, even if I'm the one in trouble at the end. Look, you can hate me all you want after, but your people need me. And... I need your help." he finally said.

The both of them looked at each other. Ben hadn't exactly planned to dump all of his emotional honesty on the thief, and wondered if he didn't overdo it and ended up as saying too much. Yet, his former opponent seemed to think over what he just said. Kuphulu was trying to figure out what to do, to accept or not what the teen had proposed. It didn't take him long to sigh, and take Ben's wrist with his arms.

"I'm gonna regret this, am I not?"

"I hope you won't." said a delighted Ben. Funny how he managed to convince a pretty criminal that he could help, or even tried in the first place.

"So, how does this work?" he asked.

"You push that button and you have a screen to show you the aliens I have available. You put your fingers-err, bands, on the faceplate, and then you scroll the selection screen to find the alien you want." Ben explained.

"I thought you just needed to press on a button or twist the dial around to activate the Omnitrix."

"That was the old versions."

"Ugh, this is complicated, I don't recognize what these images correspond to. Why did that Galvan make something like this so hard to use?" complained Kuphulu.

"Ask him, I don't know why he just couldn't use the old formats I had for the watch." chuckled Ben in understanding.

"Hmm, this one seems good." he said, his band selecting Way Big. "What do I do now?"

"It's the best one you could've chosen. Scroll on the alien's face and the Omnitrix's button should appear. Hit it and then, it's Hero Time!" said Ben, making Kuphulu roll his eyes.

The Omnitrix's core popped up and Kuphulu slammed on it, a green flash of light engulfing Ben as his DNA was changing. What Kuphulu didn't know and what Ben forgot to mention (and probably forgot all about in the first place), was what Azmuth had told him about being mistransformed: if he hits the Omnitrix too hard, the wrong alien will come out. And that's ultimately what just happened.

" _Whampire!_ "

It was silent again. The two of them stared at what Ben had turned into. Needless to say, they deserved an award for the biggest disappointment ever felt at universal scale.

"What was that about being my best choice again?" the Thep Khufan deadpanned.

"That's not the alien you chose! Ugh, the Omnitrix is still malfunctioning." said Whampire, glaring at the device on his chest.

"Can't choose another one?"

"I only got ten minutes, we need to act fast and I have to work with what I have (though I would've liked Astrodactyl better on this one). Wanna be in?" he said, offering Kuphulu to ride on his back.

"Are you going to enslave me like last time?" he asked, wary of the alien for many reasons.

"Like I said, 10 minutes. I'm not trying to rule an entire planet like a certain someone did on this one." he teased. "Now come on or stay here."

"Fine, fine. I'm coming." sighed Kuphulu.

* * *

"Wow, this feels amazing!" exclaimed the mummy. "You do this on a daily basis with that thing, Tennyson?"

"Not really," said Whampire, "most of the time, I take a ride with Rook on his Proto-TRUK or I go on foot with XLR8. Not all my aliens can fly. But hey, still think me and my powers stink?"

They were flying through town, Whampire's wings making him able to float, giving them quite a sight of Anur Transyl. Or what was left of it.

"Hmm," hummed Kuphulu, "that's still something I have to decide. Hey, can't you control Lord Transyl's Corrupturas with your powers?"

"Already tried last time I became Whampire. The ones I have are separate from his. If I could do that, the entire planet would've been liberated the moment I came back here. Sorry."

"I think I can see where they are." he said, pointing to the middle of town, at a broken stone bridge. Where the Vladat issue started taking place.

"Wow, they really thrashed everything. Do evil emperors have a maintenance class at their school of evil and dictatorships? Because the town needs serious fixing."

"Vladats don't really care about our environment and where we live. They force people with enough brawn into submission and intimidate the ones with enough brain. That or they hypnotize them to work willingly and build houses, castles, operas and so on for their own pleasure. Viktor is one with brain, but also has brawn, and they favored his muscles over his knowledge."

"People are easily impressed with performances, but hard to impress with science unless it's all shiny. There was a reason I was surprised when a little girl I saved liked Brainstorm over Rath."

"Who and who?"

Whampire sighed. "Brainstorm is a crab that can make sparks with his brain, and Rath is a big angry tiger with muscles."

"Oh, those two. Why do you call them like that? Beside your sense of humor making you do so, of course."

"I can't even say Brainstorm's species right, it's shorter and easier to give them names to remember them. That and fans always like the names I give."

"Guess I'm not one of your fans."

"Guess you're not." chuckled Whampire.

Suddenly, he stopped midair. Deciding to land, he went for a nearby roof and let Kuphulu off his back safely.

"Why are we making a stop?"

"I can't do it like last time. Last time, we were five against five. Now, we're two against dozens of Incurseans fleets. If we're not careful, we could end up worse than put into slavery."

"Like what?"

"Dead." solemnly declared Whampire. "Even if we get help from the townspeople, there's still the fact that Incurseans have tough alien tech. What we need is to outnumber them with more help, and I'm not sure this guy" he pointed to himself "can be useful when everyone on this planet hates Vladats.

"Can't you change into another alien form? If we're quick, we should be able to make it." proposed Kuphulu.

"Even if I do, it'll take too much time to find the right one, I got like more than fifty of those guys." He sighed. "I don't even know what to choose. Ditto and Echo Echo can duplicate but they're easy targets, and I could accidentally hurt some of the citizens on the battlefield."

"What about that leaf creature that you told us defeated Attea before?"

"Hmm, I could use Swampfire to take the blasts, but one enduring guy isn't enough. Hey! Can't you make copies of us with that mirror we broke in Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr?"

"Like you said, you broke it. It takes months to rebuild it with the right energy to make our reflections come to life. But didn't you control the Mutant Pumpkins outside once with that alien?"

"I did, but they're slow and kind of easy to burn, in contrary to Swampfire. We need a faster army right now. And, the Omnitrix also times out quicker if I switch to another alien while I'm already transformed. I have to work with this guy, we're already losing too much time."

"But we can't go like this either. Hmm," wondered Kuphulu, "it looks like we're hitting a dead-end."

"What do you usually do when you need backup? I mean, you're definitely not the only guys Zs'Skayr has roped in his plans."

"Was that another pun about my... ugh, whatever. Usually, Lord Zs'Skayr always knows where to find new allies. Whenever we need help, he either brings back an old acquaintance, hires someone with promises of fortune, informs the townspeople of what the job entails and what they could gain in joining his cause. Otherwise, he can always summon his old faithful army of Ectonurites."

"Then why don't we ask Zs'Skayr for help?" suggested Whampire.

"You're joking, right?" asked Kuphulu. "There's no way master Zs'Skayr accepts to help  _you_. If you want to know where he is, he's probably in his chambers taking care of the next attack plans to defend the planet, but even then, how are you going to convince him?"

"Who said I needed to  _convince_  someone to make them do what I want?" devilishly pondered Whampire, definitely sending shivers to Kuphulu's inner ropes.

"I think this form is making you a bit too much of an evil genius to call you a 'hero', Tennyson."

Whampire was about to respond, but then, a thought came in. They needed a bigger army, yes, but for what? For a fight to keep the Anur System a safe place for its current inhabitants to live in. And what caused the danger? The Incurseans attacking, after that Lord Transyl started bringing his own army back to life. Which ultimately lead to the question...

"Where are the other Vladats?"

* * *

Both sides were matched. Incurseans had enough weaponry to tear down an entire planet, while Transylians, Ectonurites, Loboans and Thep Khufans were attacking despite the pain, against their will and unable to rest. It was an unstoppable force against an unmovable object, and the result of this fight would be up to both monarchs to see who had the upper hand.

For now, the war was surprisingly tough, when taking into account an immortal Emperor was fighting against a bratty teenage girl. Lord Transyl's wounds had not healed from the laser blast, Attea seemed close to tiring, and both Leaders were too proud to let someone else battle the other.

While the Incurseans hadn't managed to help their princess with Bullfrag earlier, Ben's group was still fighting for the other team. But something seemed wrong in their moves. They were weak and tired, yes, but it wasn't just that. Their aim was getting worse as time passed, their powers were depleting, their army was lessening with most slaves falling down out of exhaustion, and oddly enough, there was no Vladat soldiers among them.

It wasn't a simple energy shortage, something felt neglected about their abilities. They were all competent enough to stand and endure the pain, surely, even though most of the slaves were normal citizens, but their techniques were incomplete, as if they were prevented from doing their best despite being forced to do so. They were getting weak, powerless, useless, thrown away on the battlefield with no energy left.

That was it. That was how they got enslaved once before.

They gave everything they've had and had a crude result, and ended up looking like nothing compared to the ones giving them orders. It was no wonder Dr. Viktor's loathing of Vladats was so strong, he probably would've let Ben save the day when it was still possible rather than helping make his entire species go through slavery hell a second time. It actually made their past victory over Vladats more spectacular, as anybody would've lost their minds after living under the life-eating beings' reign of tyranny.

The Vladats had colonized towns, regions, planets, galaxies, they've proved their power and prowess multiple times and did not hesitate to rub it in the weaker people's faces. They've had all the wealth, all the food, all the services (often commutable with "food") they wanted to satisfy their needs, and not one rebel was able to carry any act of revolt in the name of their freedom during the Vladats' era of greatness.

Yet their unnerving past presence made a stark contrast with the current situation: where were they now?

Even if they didn't like fighting by theirselves, the troops that were brought back to life during the past week seemed eager to do some conquest. One would expect at least a few of them to join the fun or at least watch the Transylians go down in battle just to feel more powerful than them. But there was none, as if Lord Transyl hadn't brought his species back to life. And regarding Lord Transyl, why didn't his wounds heal yet? There was something definitely wrong with the current battle.

On Scout's side of things, he seemed to have a lot of regrets. He used to feel lonely, and wished to fight again alongside his best friend Rook. But this way. His home, his birth planet, it was breaking down. The inhabitants were slowly dying and he was forced to work for someone cruel with people he despised, against a common threat that would most likely kill them after being done with tearing the entirety of Anur Transyl apart.

He was shooting, biting, being thrown away, being shot, attacking, falling, standing up, trembling, failing, breaking. He felt like he was slowly slipping away, as if he wouldn't be able to make it after this one, and he was starting to believe it too. He was battling like a machine, his moves were all mechanical and lifeless. He couldn't decide to give up but he couldn't continue the way he wanted.

_He was a puppet, and Lord Transyl pulled the strings._

He wished Ben wasn't the one most likely to defeat him, and that Plumber forces didn't require a trial for these kinds of things, because he swore if he could, he'd bite the man and Zs'Skayr down until there was nothing left of both criminals. Sadly, it felt more like there would soon be nothing left of him instead. His body was tiring, his will was fading, his muscles were failing him, and he was slowly losing himself in the fight.

Then he wasn't.

Suddenly, the pain his body was sharper, but at the same time, he felt like more awake than a few seconds ago. All of a sudden, his muscles weren't sore anymore, his senses strengthened, he felt fully conscious. He blinked, wondering where this energy surge came from, then he felt something cold inside of him. He worriedly put his hands on his chest, making sure he wasn't just hallucinating from a deadly shot.

On the contrary, he felt more alive than before and, ready to kick butt, he lunged forward his current opponent. He let out a growl of delight as he felt his moves were free, free from any restrain, free from moving in a way that didn't correspond to his fighting style. Delighted to return in this state of energy rush, he gave all he had and felt as if he was in heaven when it looked like he was winning.

Then the war became uneven. He looked at the other soldiers, and realized they felt the same. Everyone was suddenly more lively, more powerful. They weren't just slaves, they've had the power of a million armies rushing through them. They were capable, they were strong, and they've all had weird purple hue on them that didn't look natural.

Scout raised his head, while tackling an Incursean that tried to attack from behind, and realized how everyone got healed: thousands of Ectonurites were flying down from the sky. Hundreds of them were merging with the townspeople, feeding them in energy and giving them free reign over their body. Of course, many people wanted to leave instead of staying, but the Ectonurites' arrival seemed to convince them to stay and fight for their planet. That, or they were just possessed and even less in control than before. At least they didn't mind the pain anymore.

He looked around, trying to find the sources of the backup army, and his eyes widened as he saw Zs'Skayr up in the sky, leading his own troops to power up Anur Transyl's side of the war.

"What are you doing here?! You criminal, I won't let your former status blind me from-"

"Zip it, I didn't even choose to be here in the first place." said Zs'Skayr, an angry expression on his skull face.

Scout tilted his head in confusion, and saw what brought Zs'Skayr in here. On his cloak there was an odd Corruptura, distinguishable from the others by its emerald green color and eye. Scout smiled and, seeing Rook running nearby, he took hold of Blonko's arm and, catching his attention, he pointed towards a roof building that wasn't damaged by the fight.

Rook, who still needed some time to recover, was perplexed as his former classmate was showing him something in the shadows. Then, two silhouettes came down on the ground, and Rook felt like rejoicing as he recognized his partner, albeit accompanied by Kuphulu and in Vladat form.

"Missed me much?" teased Whampire.

"Ben!" exclaimed Rook, running to meet up with him. "Are you the one who did this? I thought you could not access the watch by yourself!"

"I helped." answered Kuphulu. "My Corruptura broke earlier while you were all talking, and Tennyson needed my help. The Omnitrix was different from how master Zs'Skayr described it, and I only managed to get this form."

"Then we decided that you guys might need some extra feedback for this one. We decided to plan our next move before joining the fun, and got some help from someone that was busy redecorating their room rather than helping out."

"Master Zs'Skayr," Kuphulu sent a glare at the Omnitrix wearer, "was planning out the schemes for the integration of Vladats in our society, but he didn't pay enough attention to realize we were losing the ongoing war. Tennyson knew that master Zs'Skayr would refuse to help him, so he spat a Corruptura at him to bring him and the Ectonurite backup supply here."

As they explained, Viktor, Crüjo and Rad joined the group, closely listening.

"He didn't exactly like me taking control of him again." chuckled Whampire. "But he said that he was used to it and that he would eventually get rid of me as soon as Lord Transyl gets bored of me. Tss, I don't think that will happen this soon with Dracula over here so excited to play with me like I'm his doll."

"That's... unusual." said Viktor.

"How so?" asked Whampire.

"Vladats usually don't care about many people beside their own kind." said Viktor.

"I heard that in the past, a woman Vladat favored letting her daughter get taken away over letting one of her slaves, the leader of the rebel gang that took her daughter, be free from serving her." gossiped Crüjo. "They literally care more about being better than everyone else than the safety of their own people, even if  _they're_  the ones that could get harmed."

"Then why does he insist so much on letting me roam free with you guys? Is that one of those megalomaniac tactics where they let the good guys think they're safe but then torture them just for their fun until the good guys become lost and insane?"

"Meh." said Rad.

"Probably." said Kuphulu.

"Yeah." said Scout.

"Very likely." said Crüjo.

"A very good chance." said Viktor.

"It is not hard to imagine." said Rook.

"Well, I think I know how to  _wrap_  this battle up quickly before I time out." declared Whampire.

"If your plan wasn't meant to help us, I'd bury you alive for this pun, Tennyson." responded the Thep Khufan, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Okay. Rad, mind giving me your sunglasses?" asked Whampire.

"No, just use yours for that." answered Rad, taking green sunglasses out of his pocket.

"Are those... Bullfrag's? Where did you get them?"

"Some of your fangirls paid me really high to gather stuff that belongs to you, so I got this one you apparently forgot on a mission. You owe me a new pair by the way, I still haven't delivered those. You'd be surprised at how many people want to have freshly worn clothes from you."

Understandably, everyone gave Rad a repulsed stare. Whampire's indignant look was reaching pre-healing Highbreed levels of disgust, to the point it was hard to believe he wasn't a natural-born Vladat, with the way he looked down on the duck's behavior.

Nonetheless, he took the glasses and looked around before closing his eyes, sensing everyone nearby's life energy. He focused, trying to find a specific pair among the fighters. Then, he smelled a very tempting smell and, looking towards its source, he found who he was looking for.

Heaving through a hard fight with the young Incursean princess, Lord Transyl was still standing against her. Thankfully, he seemed to have regained some forces... according to the lifeless corpses on the ground. Whampire winced at the idea these soldiers were most likely the ones hired to protect Attea. Knowing just how devoted these guys were, it really felt painful to know Attea was most likely not caring about their sacrifices. The little time he spent as Bullfrag last time they met could back up that opinion.

Brushing off the empathy he had for the enemy, he took off in direction of the two monarchs, carrying Kuphulu on his back.

"What's the plan now?" Kuphulu asked his new partner in crime.

"I can't put my Corrupturas on them, their skin is too slimy, and I'm not good enough with hypnosis to try and make her give up."

"So?"

"So I'll convince her, another way."

"You're gonna use those 'Bullfrag' charms on her in hope she crushes on you and just leaves us alone?"

"Oh she will enjoy those 'Bullfrag charms', as you say," he maliciously grinned, "but not the way she expects them to be."

Both rulers were now standing, heavily exhausted from the battle. Attea was an energetic young Incursean, Lord Transyl was an immortal experienced Vladat, they both could do this for hours if no one stopped them. Whampire dropped Kuphulu a bit far from them, behind Attea's side of the fight. He then flew over, letting the green sunglasses fall before the royal pair.

Both Lord Transyl and Attea stopped as he flew over them, turning their heads to witness what was happening. It was fortunate that Whampire had been fast enough to hide in the shadows afar. Lord Transyl was a creature of the night, so he immediately knew what was going on. Attea, who saw the glint of the green glasses on the ground, not so much. She ran away from the man, hurrying to check what Whampire had dropped. Unbeknownst to her, Kuphulu was running behind her silently, making sure he couldn't be heard.

The vampire lord watched as his slave put whatever plan he had in motion. As soon as the green fiend picked the accessory up, she seemed delighted until the Thep Khufan following her nicely wrapped his bands over her like one would do with a wound. Well, the girl had been painful and wasn't exactly enjoyable to look at, so he could say having her around would cause an injury to anybody's mental state. Maybe he could've used her to demoralize any remaining soldier, if he wasn't so deadly tired.

Attea on the other hand, still seemed very lively as she squirmed in her bounds a worm.

Both armies around stopped their battling to observe the ordeal, unable to fight without any more orders when the situation changed.

"It's useless." Kuphulu told her. "Tennyson quickly showed me a few tricks while we were looking for you. I tied you up with so many layers, you'd need two Tetramands to help you out, if you want to be free before needing to use the bathroom."

Attea's glare would put Toepick's face to shame, too bad for her that she was now harmless. She sent her tongue out, ready to wrap it around his neck, but it was immediately caught by sharp fingers in green gloves.

"Not so fast, princess. I don't think you'd like it if I feast upon your body tonight." he threatened as he let go, not realizing his words could be interpreted differently out of context. Attea seemingly did, if her blush was any indication.

"Well, I wouldn't mind." She flirted. "You know that I'm of royal blood, I'm sure to satisfy your tastes." If he realized now he unknowingly made a  _suggestive_  suggestion, he kept his calm as he followed.

"Sure, why not? I'm sure your daddy would be okay with his little princess offering herself to me this easily." Her loving blush was replaced by an angered blush. "It will make him so happy to know his entire empire and armadas were lost to the guy who his daughter has a crush on. Unless, of course, you leave now and promise to never attack this planet and the other ones in this galaxy anymore. How does that sound?"

"Take that back right  _now_ , Ben Tennyson." She gritted her teeth as she spoke. "It's not because Bullfrag is cute that I'll let  _you_  make fun of me like this, this form doesn't even look half interesting. What are you now anyway? A very tall and skinny anthropomorphic bloodsucker?"

If she could turn around, she'd see the murderous aura emanating from Lord Transyl right now. The ruler was definitely out of patience with her, he was about to attack when his slave put his foot over the helpless bratty teenager, preventing her from even wriggling like the insect she was.

"You know, this guy is pretty much indestructible." The hero said, pointing to himself. "I wasn't sure what to name him at first, but I think Whampire fits pretty fine. Especially when your people discover what is left of your body after I feed, it will be such a huge emotional 'wham!' for them, I'll certainly leave my mark on the history of Incursean defeats, quite literally.  _Either you give up and go away, or I bite._ "

Had he raised his head to look at Lord Transyl, he would've seen the man's expression switch from angry, to surprised, to a look of pride. Pride over his slave's own pride in becoming a Vladat and voicing it, but also pride in Ben's ingenious tactics. The boy just proved himself to be more capable than anyone he met after his revival as of now, even if his status as a slave made him weaker. It was an act worthy of nobility and honor. Had Ben been closer to a Vladat than just a human, he would've made a fine member of his court.

But wasn't it the case now?

No, Ben wasn't a true Vladat.  _'But he thinks and behaves like one.'_  thought Lord Transyl, observing as Whampire still imposed dominance over Attea. Then Kuphulu threw something at him, the Vladat superhero recognizing it as her communicator as he caught it.

"You know, I've heard this species could be quite hungry. Who knows? I could invite some others to join me. Of course, I won't stop you from going home if you call off your goons." he said, handing her the communicator even though she couldn't take it.

" _YOU WOULDN'T DARE..._ " she aggressively said, steam practically coming out of her ears after he started toying with her. Too bad her captor was already too close to be joking.

Unbeknownst to him, Ben's team was staring from afar, noticing something different about his behavior. Maybe the Vladat DNA made him into a showoff and a big (life) eater, but why was he putting that much effort? It felt like he was overdoing it. It was already a stretch to imagine him going on battle with that specific alien form, taking into account their current problem, it was even harder to see him mention ever so casually eating and torturing Attea.

"Tick Tock, Attea, I haven't eaten anything decent in a week." he grinned, his fangs nearing her neck.

It seemed he was really doing it, until Attea shouted at him in surrender.

"Hold the phone, Tennyson! Okay, you win, I'll leave! Give me that!"

He pressed the red button on the device and brought it to her face, allowing her to command the ships away.

Soon, every Incursean around left the battlefield, all heading towards the fleets. The townspeople seemed relieved as the fight had finally ended, and everyone watched as their home planet was bit by bit emptied from the green infestation. Well, except for the weapons, debris, corpses, blood and other questionable fluids left on the ground. But it didn't matter much for those who just wanted the whole evening to be over.

From the main ship, an alien with a very visible brain (that Ben recognized as Raff) came out, before brutally receiving on the head his princess, wrapped like a gift. Cries of anger could be heard from Attea, as she swore she would come back for Ben someday, all while Raff struggled to pull her inside, still paralyzed by the Thep Khufan's bands.

_'Boy, does she need a hobby. At least this planet is safe from her for now, I'll have to stay put for the next threat. But hey, isn't that what you'd expect from a hero?'_

"Nice throw." commented Kuphulu, shoulder bumping Whampire.

"Thanks, I was part of the sports team in high school. I was in the soccer club, but I had a good aim at baseball too. Never threw something as ballsy and heavy as her though."

Their chatting was interrupted by a violet projectile flying next to Whampire, straight to Kuphulu's forehead.

"What?!" said the mummy, paralyzed again.

"Now that is taken care of," said Lord Transyl, a serious expression upon his face, "you must learn to know your place, my slave."

Whampire frowned. "Seriously? We help out and this is how you thank us? Ugh." he said, walking towards Lord Transyl. "I don't need a reward, but trapping my friends sure doesn't feel like one. We didn't even try to escape this time." He didn't even look fazed as he was caught by the collar.

"Don't push your luck, my slave. You already disobeyed once when I told you to stay put. It was certainly admirable to defend your new home and king, but you were being reckless again. Had your little trick not worked, you would've most likely been buried by the frog annoyance if I did not intervene."

"Hey!" Lord Transyl heard a voice say before receiving a pebble on the back of his head. He turned, bothered by the interruption, to see his slave's comrades gathered in a fighting stance. He merely sighed, his eyes shining to give the order to leave. They didn't falter, much to his surprise. They still had their Corrupturas on, why weren't they obeying?

"Those ghosts were pretty easy to convince when I asked how a Corruptura could be countered. As long as Zs'Skayr is here, so are his ghosts." Whampire said, catching his captor's attention. "And as long as I'm here, he won't disobey. Remember? Your people are ones of the strongest in the universe, always getting their way and all of that stuff about mind control. So if I'm the one in charge, my friends don't have to obey to you like before. And by the way," he added, getting a hold of the man's grip over his neck, "if what you said about my flesh being weak was true then,  _what about yours?_ "

Almost instantly, Whampire released himself from the strong arms, jumping away from the man and back to his friends.

"I saw the labs, and I also saw why there wasn't any other Vladat around today. Hard to believe what was happening while I was imprisoned in a cage earlier today." Lord Transyl frowned at his slave's words, fully aware of what the other Vladat was implying. " Good thing the Omnitrix didn't let that happen to me though. I'm not as easy to bring down as you think. If you would let me, I'd show you just how far I'd go to help everyone. Even you. Still think I can't fight back on my own, my Lord?" he said, crossing his arms and gazing quite teasingly at Lord Transyl.

"Hmm, maybe so." said Lord Transyl in a monotone, although there was a hint of a smile upon his face. He looked at his young slave celebrating, thinking about the events that occurred throughout the evening. The boy was still full of secrets and tricks, something he needed to take care of. But it did feel amazing to see the young hero in action.

However, the victory party was short-lived, as Whampire suddenly collapsed on the ground.

"Ughh..."

"Ben!" said Rook, picking his partner up by the shoulders. "What is going on? What is happening to him?"

"He's underfed." explained Viktor. "We spent a week eating rotting bugs and he hasn't absorbed life energy from anybody ever since he took on this form, right? His body can't take the hunger much more. He's starving."

"Does that mean we need to feed him?" asked Scout. "But if Ben is starving, he might not know when to stop feeding, he might accidentally kill one of us."

"It doesn't have to be one of us." said Crüjo. "But the kid already has seen enough carnage, I don't think he'll find it fun to kill someone now."

"What do we do, then?" asked Rook.

The Omnitrix started beeping and, a flash of green later, Whampire was back to Ben, peacefully snoring in Rook's arms.

"Question asked, question answered." sighed Rook.

Then he felt a bit shaken up, his muscles tensed and before he knew it, he was back to standing inline with the others.

"Oh come on..." complained Kuphulu as he watched the Ectonurites coming out of his comrades.

"Free once more from you, Tennyson..." said a raspy voice. Zs'Skayr's Corruptura, its owner having timed out, crumbled in pieces before disintegrating into dust on the Ecto-lord's cloak.

"Master, please." begged Viktor. "I understand the Plumbers and Tennyson, but why us? We really don't need to be forced to be loyal to you."

"No need to worry, Doctor Viktor. Lord Transyl isn't as restraining and irritating as Tennyson can be, he's certainly more lenient with you than Tennyson was."

His henchmen sweat-dropped, the memory of Ben's first time enslaving them being definitely better. They didn't realize back then how much Ben wasn't demanding and cruel like all Vladats were, even though his terrible sense of humor made up for it. No, Ben was definitely kinder with the people he controlled than most Vladats were, and although it felt terrible not to be in control of theirselves, he at least did say he meant to help.  
Meanwhile, Kuphulu silently sighed as his master left. From what he knew, Ben had a sore throat when he made Zs'Skayr's Corruptura, and Zs'Skayr seemed to move much more than they did under control. He knew his master wasn't a bad person, but teaming up with Tennyson did help him learn how dramatic his lord could be at times.

Lord Transyl walked toward his slave's sleeping body, peacefully resting on the ground. He picked the boy up, caressing his cheek as he looked at Ben's bloodstream. He was terribly underfed and greatly weakened, it was a wonder how he was even able to stand in Vladat form. Lord Transyl knew his slave still hadn't bitten anyone yet, probably out of fear, yet it was a necessary evil if he wanted to live.

_'What a fool. Keeping his heroic morality just for honor over his own health. I can't even discipline him correctly anymore if he keeps endangering himself for others. What can a king do with no subjects to serve him? So reckless, so careless, so... brave. Hmm, I think I really made a good choice in keeping you, Ben Tennyson.'_

He chuckled, grinning at Ben's carefree expression in his sleep, lifting the teen up in his arms, before handing him to his cellmates. His eyes shone again as he gave the instructions.

"I trust that my slave will be safe with you. Carry him back to the dungeons, I have matters to deal with."

Although they wondered why he just didn't send one of them and why he told them what he had to do at the moment, they didn't question it as long as they could get some sleep. Crüjo, his arms in pain, took Ben and headed towards the castle with the others following. On the way, Rook called out to Kuphulu.

"So, you really helped Ben even though you hated him?"

"Hate is a strong word. Let's just say... he's not as terrible as I thought."

"So you weren't the one making a war cry when you came on the battlefield? You sounded like you had fun back there." said Viktor with the most smug grin he ever gave in his career.

If mummies could blush, Kuphulu would've been redder than Heatblast's flames. "Shut up."

"You know, Scout," said Rook, "maybe we  _could_  use some other Anur native Plu..."

"Don't even think about it!"

"It was worth a try." said Rook, to which Scout snorted.

"These criminals, becoming part of the intergalactic police force?" he asked. "That sounds ridiculous, but who knows? After this, I think anything can happen, especially with Ben around."

The young human kept snoring on the Loboan's shoulder, unaware of his friends talking about him. It was exhausting to use all of his energy for today, at least it felt more restful than what Lord Transyl made him go through. Or what he knew the man himself was having.

* * *

He inspected his reflection, searching a trace of the earlier violence, looking out for any wrinkle in his robes. A good king couldn't show himself in front of his subjects wearing a sleeping gown, he wasn't going to rule this place covered in dirt and with torn clothes either. His jewels had were polished, as good as new, and his mask wasn't out of place.

The fight he had to lead had damaged enough of his clothing, it was good enough it hadn't lasted long. Without his slave joining, it would've taken longer, and it would've been hard to recover afterwards.

He frowned, thinking about the boy. That was rash and reckless, even though it worked out. His slave had disobeyed and came in anyway. What made it worse (or, maybe better) was that he won and ended the whole ordeal unscathed. Except for the hunger pains. He chuckled. Clearly, his slave had no idea of how a Vladat's body works, he doesn't choose to feed, he has to. It was enough of a punishment to fight as a starved Vladat, so Lord Transyl assumed he could overlook the boy's brashness this time.

Still, it was impressive how he managed to stay awake that long without eating. Lord Transyl himself could rarely stand with that much lack of energy before eventually feeding from someone. Hunger could make a Vladat lose his mind, and the sanity mixed with the ingenuity he had witnessed from "Whampire" was nearly unbelievable. It was at times like these that he knew he truly made a good choice in putting Ben Tennyson at his service.

However, deep down, something annoyed the king. His slave had claimed knowing what was happening in the underground labs, and it was very likely the Thep Khufan accompanying him knew the truth too. If word got out, the prisoners would be more motivated into escaping and, if he didn't already tame them by the use of his Corrupturas, he would soon be overthrown like once before.

It was likely the child was too tired after restraining himself from eating, so he wouldn't have to worry too much about another rebellion for now. He'd have to look on the boy's diet though, in case this incident ever happened again. He was brought back from the dead with the goal of taking back the power he was deprived from, and overcoming death wouldn't be pleasant if it took something under his ownership.

At least, if the child stopped endangering himself so much, maybe Lord Transyl could finally teach him to stay put for a while. He didn't exactly have a choice in making the boy so free of his movements with that damned green bracelet countering his first Corruptura, but Ben Tennyson was worth marking as his personally. All the boy needed was to recognize him as his master, and maybe he wouldn't need much punishment.

Ben Tennyson had already partially redeemed himself from trying to stop the ruler the first time they met by protecting his master and new home from the invasion, but fighting wasn't needed when he was to serve at his master's side, the child will have to understand his abilities as a changeling were useless for his new status.

As he was about to exit the room, he suddenly felt flinched in pain, putting a hand on his chest. Gritting his teeth, he looked back at the mirror and walked back in front of it, sighing as he undid his strap. Removing his robes and taking his chemise off, he looked at his injured, pale skin. Thankfully, the resurrection process hadn't fattened him or deprived him of his millennia-old musculature, but the scars he had said otherwise for his strength.

The shot Attea had done to him when he was talking Ben into submission had still not healed, yet "Whampire" seemed perfectly healthy despite being greatly weakened, and they both knew why. He put his hand on his face, silently laughing at the irony of his situation. He had called the boy's flesh weak, yet when he looked at himself, he knew where the real problem resided in.

Lord Transyl was ill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW! I think I've never wrote this much in my life! [insert me whining about lack of practice and long writing process like a baby]
> 
> Ben is finally bonding with his former enemies, and he impressed Lord Transyl! Boy if that won't come in handy when they-[spoiler]
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this chappie, don't forget to leave a review if you want, and until next time...
> 
> Heato-kun, out!


	6. Chapter 5: Flashback: Crüjo, aid Loboan

**Chapter 5: Flashback: Crüjo, aid Loboan**

Ben's mind was in a blur as he attempted to wake up. If his first night on Anur Transyl ended up with him becoming a slave, this time he only had the mother of all headaches in head.

Grunting, he tried to sit up on his bed, fighting the urge to go back to sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up as he heard a cheerful voice calling to him.

"Ben! You are awake!" said Rook.

Ben saw his partner looking at him with excitement, and was glad to note the Revonnahgander wasn't injured. That meant that what he did the day (night?) before worked.

"Hey, Rook. Good to see you too, dude."

"Are you alright? Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"I guess I'm fine. Just very tired and," he clutched his stomach, realizing how much he was starved, "very,  _very_  hungry."

"Here, I will give you breakfast." said Rook, going to fetch a nearby plate of (albeit disgusting) food. "You scared us last night, I was worried when we all saw you faint."

"Geeze, blue cat boy, you sound like a mother nursing her children with that tone." said a throaty voice.

Rook sighed, looking at the other side of the room, where Zs'Skayr's gang (and Scout) were chilling out, with Scout laying on the top bunk bed, still tired from yesterday's adventure.

"Well, you were worried too if remember well. Were you not the one checking on him every 20 minutes before we went to bed?" Rook asked, teasing Viktor back.

"If he's our exit ticket from this place, I think it's normal for me to make sure a brat like Tennyson stays alive." said Viktor in denial, pouting and crossing his arms while his partners in crime were laughing.

Ben stuck his tongue out, amused by the morning show. Then he realized something was off with his cellmates.

"Hey, how come you guys can move again?" Ben asked. "I mean, not that I liked sharing this room with talking scarecrows, but I thought as long as you have those Corrupturas on your head, you wouldn't be able to do anything unless someone orders you to."

"That stunt you pulled last night made Lord Transyl change his mind." Viktor answered.

"Huh?"

"He was so impressed by how you lead his army to victory by giving it free will that he agreed to let us move more freely when he doesn't need us."

"Doesn't that mean we could gang up on him and stop him?"

"He still has an influence on our bodies." said Kuphulu. "And besides, we're the only prisoners he allowed to move normally again. All the others are still forced to move while we use our bodies normally again."

"That's a start, at least." Ben said, taking the plate Rook offered him. "Is it me or are some of these... things still alive?" he asked, poking the worm that he swore seeing move.

"It's better than what we've had, he insisted on giving this specific meal to you only." said Rook.

"Uh, why's that? I don't need to eat something that's still alive, not like him." Ben raised a brow, eyeing the gurgling mess that was his breakfast.

"He said something about how 'A weak slave makes an unsatisfied master' or something like that." said Scout, moving on his bed to make himself more comfortable.

"Then why does he keep us for use at all? I don't think we're tough enough to work for him today. We were in a war yesterday and we ended it on that same day, I think that took a lot of energy from us. He still expects us to be in shape now?"

"He gave us the day off." Rook told him, much to Ben's surprise.

"You really nailed this one, Tennyson." praised Kuphulu. "Prisoners told me he never even gave his housemaids lunch breaks, now he lets everyone he captured have some rest."

"I don't know what you did to him yesterday, but it sure worked out for us!" praised Viktor.

"Heh, thanks guys." said Ben, looking at the questionably edible beetle on his spoon. "Hey, where's Rad by the way?"

"Hmm, they found a lot of valuable and precise weapons on the Lovely Duck," explained Scout, making small sounds onto his pillow as he finally found a comfortable position, "but most of them are hard to use for inexperienced people, so they got Rad to be on another squadron for now."

"Ha! I always knew his cynicism and stoic persona would someday get him on his own for real. I guess he's one of those guys who can manage beating up others alone." Ben smoothly said, gulping his meal down while he felt uncomfortable about losing another person on the team. At least, the duck was still alive, but he wouldn't be here to help when they'd try another escape plan. He sighed. "I don't think I can digest this thing by staying here. I'm feeling better now, going for a walk."

"Hey there, kid! Don't leave me hanging." said Crüjo, putting his arm on Ben's shoulder as the teen got up, startling him. "I'm coming with you, you gotta tell me where you got the idea for that stunt yesterday."

"Sure thing, dude." said Ben casually, coming out of the cell while the Loboan followed behind.

"Hmm..." hummed Viktor, making the gears in his mind turning (figuratively, not literally).

"What are you thinking about?" asked Kuphulu.

"You know, there's something off with these two." answered Viktor, eyeing Crüjo and Ben as they walked off together, chatting.

"And what could that be?" asked Rook, raising a brow.

"Well, I got that me and Kuphulu had our field experience with Tennyson before, but when did Crüjo get along with him?"

"I don't get along with him." huffed Kuphulu.

"I heard you shouting 'Cowabunga!' while you were landing in the battle." said Scout.

"It was on the spur of the moment!" argued the Thep Khufan, fuming at the snickering Plumber. "Besides, when did the rest of you decide he was decent enough to work with?"

"I am his partner, I know better than doubt Ben's honesty and morals." proudly announced Rook.

"He seemed lost when he first came in here, but he's definitely the hero I've studied about." said Scout.

"Well, we had a rough past and I still have a grudge against him, but I guess I owe Tennyson one for trapping that human king inside a metal prison before he did anything with my body." explained Viktor. "Hmm, trapping someone inside a box. Now that's an idea we could use to defeat the Vladats..."

His cellmates looked perplexed upon his new plan, they brushed it off anyway.

"But you are right," conceded Rook "when did Ben and your accomplice become familiar with each other like this?"

The prisoners tried to think about it, but nothing came to mind.

* * *

_One week earlier_

"Ewwwww!" complained Ben, looking at the mess that was his breakfast (dinner? lunch? Time was so confusing without a sun). "How do they expect me to eat that? At least I could snatch a snack from the fridge and put Grandpa's monstrosities away when we went on our road-trip, now I have to eat this?! Ugh."

"I know it is not enchanting for you, Ben, but you need some proteins and enough vitamins to pull off a fight if you want to go out of here" advised Rook.

"You can speak, Rook! I know you're trying to stay positive, but it's hard for me to believe you when you're eating this stuff like  _that_." said Ben, turning to his partner.

"I believe these utensils are quite similar to the ones you used on Earth."

"Yeah, but that's not the problem. I don't mind you eating with a spoon and fork, I just have a hard time accepting you're  _forced_  to put it in your mouth!" exclaimed Ben, pointing to Rook's Corruptura. "I can choose not to eat it, but I literally have nothing else to take! And you don't even get to choose if you'll eat or not, you have to because Zs'Skayr had to bring an alien ripoff of Dracula into our lives!" he pouted.

"Don't worry, Ben." reassured Scout. "We got through worse during our training earlier. This rotten food is much better in comparison." he said, munching on something that couldn't be described from Ben's point of view, beside the fact that it definitely wasn't any type of food he could possibly find on Earth.

"Uh, thanks, I guess?" said Ben, worried for his teammate's old friend. "I wasn't there when you guys trained, I don't feel like getting stronger if it's for a bad cause. You manage?"

"Well..." awkwardly said Rook and Scout in unison, before being interrupted by Crüjo collapsing on the ground. "That describes it well."

"Man, I feel bad for the guy. I mean, he tried to kill me, but still." said Ben. "Hey dude, why are none of your friends helping you out? I get you're maybe just associates but  _damn_." A growl answered him, as well as a groan from Kuphulu and Viktor.

"Remember. We. Can't. Move." said Viktor, gritting his teeth while he was laying on his bed.

"We want to help, but our bodies are forced to do otherwise." moaned a tired Kuphulu.

"Never thought I'd see grown adults complaining about getting free dinner and going to bed. But yeah, I don't like it more than you do." said Ben, brushing the Corruptura on his forehead with a sigh. "Why did he have to put you in jail like this? You helped him coming back to life and he repays you like this? That's terrible."

"Why do you care?" asked Crüjo. "He didn't do you any favor either. Oh wait, he did! You little brat are still free of your actions while we're being played like a puppet show!"

"I'm a hero, dude. If I see someone in trouble, I help. As long as they're not trying to take over the world of course."

"Whatever. Master Zs'Skayr is the one that really brought him back to life, this is just his way of keeping us in line." growled Crüjo.

"You're really loyal to him, huh?" teased Ben, not dropping the lapdog comparison. "Grandpa Max kept me from doing bad stuff too, but at least I only got a timeout or no Omnitrix for a week. And it's not even about Zs'Skayr for you guys. Lord Transyl is going too harsh on you guys, it's not fair."

"Lord Zs'Skayr told us to obey him like he's our master, and we have no other choi...ce th...than o...beying..." mumbled Kuphulu, before abruptly falling asleep.

"Our training was excessively rough today, we deserve a good rest." said Rook, yawning as he mechanically put his plate in front of the cell door.

"Rad is still on the training ground." commented Scout. "We automatically go back to our cells when we're exhausted and starved, unless a Vladat orders us to stay, so a durable duck like him should stay there for a while."

"You manage?" asked Ben as Rook went to bed.

"I'm fine, thanks. You should get some rest too." answered Scout.

"I still have energy to spare, go ahead and I'll join you when my batteries run out."

"Humans are technologically alimented? I thought you were normal organic beings like us." said Scout, receiving a stare from Ben.

"Yeah, you're definitely friends with Rook. See you tomorrow." said Ben.

"Good night."

Scout put his plate down before joining his old friend, making a relieved canine sound as he hopped on his mattress.

"Guess, it's just us now, huh?" teased Ben, looking at the Loboan laying on the ground.

"Tss, as if! Viktor, blast Tennyson for me, will ya?" said Crüjo.

An extremely loud snore coming from the Transylian was enough to prompt a complain from the bear-like alien, and a very amused giggle from the human.

"Come on, let me give you a hand." suggested Ben, kneeling on the ground to help the thug.

"Not even in Anur hell." groaned Crüjo.

"Anur hell? I wonder if afterlife is different depending on the planet you die on. Anyway, you sure you want to spend the whole night on the floor?"

"YES."

"Suit yourself." said Ben, going to bed.

He still wasn't feeling sleepy though, so he just laid down, looking at the pained Loboan on the other side of the prison cell.

It was kind of hard to believe he had to team up with these guys. It was his third day on the planet, and he still couldn't get used to the idea they were stuck with him. He didn't expect Zs'Skay's henchmen to keep their word and not betray him right after overthrowing Lord Transyl (blame Vilgax for that), but he didn't really have much of a choice. It was either that, or he was stuck as a slave on this planet forever.

He thought back of his home planet, Earth. He sighed, knowing fully well that, if he didn't act fast, it would sooner or later fall under Lord Transyl's control too. And he also knew that it was his fault. If he had been more careful with Ghostfreak, less cocky when he first entered Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr, more thoughtful when he came on this planet in the first place, maybe none of this would've happened.

He felt to he was to blame for the current issue. He looked at the Omnitrix. What would Azmuth say now? Beside lecturing him, he'd probably tell him to assume his faults, give him words of wisdom regarding the watch, then teleport to safety with his teleportation device thingy. He lightly laughed as he thought of the old Galvan, then his thoughts were focused on Grandpa Max.

What would he do to make him aware of the situation? Unlike Ken, Ben had an explanation as to why he wasn't back with his family yet: Grandpa Max knew they went on mission and that the communications to the Anur system were extremely hard to come by without proper tech, so the old man had hardly any reason to worry about Ben being absent for a few weeks. And even if he stalled before going back to Earth, it wasn't like Ben was the only person Max had to deal, the Magister becoming more and more busy ever since he went back to business.

Ben simply hoped there wouldn't be any issue to deal with when he goes back home. What he lived in this place, would forever mark him. It was one of the biggest mistakes he's ever made for now, people had actually died because of him, and he felt like he was the only one to blame for all of this mess. He wanted to escape, he wanted to go back home. He missed having fun times with Gwen, with Kevin, with his grandfather, with everyone he liked spending time with.

But would it work out if he went back after everything that happened the last few days?

He sighed, the tension he felt from the moment he was caught not lessening. He turned to Crüjo, who passed out while Ben was meditating. The young teen rolled his eyes and, aware he couldn't use the watch in this situation, flexed his arms before getting to work.

* * *

_The day after_

Crüjo groaned as he woke up, his body making him get up after a well-deserved rest. He needed more sleep, being worn out from having to block the blows he received last evening. Blinking, he raised a brow when he noticed that he was in bed. Didn't he fall asleep on the ground last night? An old mattress decomposing was certainly better than the cold hard stone ground of the dungeons, but he wondered how he ended up there.

"Your snack is next to your bed, Sleeping Beauty."

The voice came from the bed above his, and Crüjo frowned as he saw Ben peeking at him with a teasing eye.

"What do you want, Tennyson?" asked the wary Loboan.

"Nothing, just making sure you don't starve. I'd rather starve than eating that, but you need energy for the day." answered Ben.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't have anything else to do. It's also called 'being sensitive', you should try that sometimes." said Ben, laying back on his bed, his arms behind his head. "I do need more sleep than you after giving you a piggyback ride yesterday, so have good meal and goodbye." he added, before dozing off.

It took some time for Crüjo to understand Ben was the one putting him in bed, and it annoyed him that the boy helped him despite being told not to. He didn't want help from his master's enemy, but he certainly wasn't in position to refuse, and it felt unpleasant to know he might have to owe him one for aiding him.

Huffing, he gulped down his breakfast before going on the training ground with the others, trying to take his mind off the kid's behavior.

* * *

_Two days later_

Hearing from Frey that his attacks had gotten weaker in comparison did nothing to uplift Crüjo's mood. So what, his sonic blasts weren't as strong as they were before. What was the Vladat expecting when he hadn't returned to Luna Lobo in weeks? Loboan drew their strength from an exposition to the moon, and their abilities were weakened if they spent too much time far from the moonlight. He was supposed to go home after his ùaster's latest scheme, but his plans were compromised by Tennyson's interference.

He wondered how Earth's moon felt. From what told him the Yenaldooshi (as the Loboan who worked with his master in the past stubbornly asked to be called by after coming back, saying it made him feel important.), Earth's moon had no air, but the moonlight in there was unique. Sure, it was simply a reflection from their solar system's sunlight, but apparently it had a soothing energy emanating from it every night, especially during full moon.

It was how humans called their moon when its half was fully visible at night. It was weird to know the light wasn't present everywhere on it during the day (apparently, they didn't have the same concept of hours everywhere on their planet), although he could tell it was probably for the best. Had there been

It probably wasn't much compared to Luna Lobo, but he was curious. If he ever needed to go the human's planet, he wanted to know what its moon felt like. It was likely he wouldn't get to enjoy his stay if he ever had to go there, if Tennyson's behavior was any indication of how humans treated people from other planets. Why did Master Zs'Skayr even decide to go to Earth if it meant dealing with a brat like him?

What bothered Crüjo the most was the carefree attitude Ben kept showing to everyone. It felt like he was rubbing it in everyone's face that he didn't have to obey Vladats like everyone else did. That brat kept saying he was a hero but hardly did something to help, he just kept talking about his stupid childhood memories and his past jobs as if nothing was wrong. And to top it all off, he was currently sitting in front of the Loboan, in a corner of the room, dealing with his stupid bracelet with Viktor's help.

"Try rubbing it on the wall." advised the Transylian.

"Beside getting another cut on my skin, I don't think I'll get much from it." answered Ben.

"How about the voice command override? Can't you just try for a second to see if you can transform while it's on?"

"Almost blew up this entire place while you were sleeping last night, it didn't work at all."

"Can't you connect that tool your blue friend has to the Omnitrix's system to get it to activate?"

"Rook's Proto-Tool is too complicated for me to use, and even with his help, the Omnitrix's signal is too encrypted for anything lower than a Level 20 device to detect, so I can't even reach the database from there."

"Is there anything you can do at all?!" desperately snapped Viktor.

"Heh, what do you think I was trying to do during the last three days?" teased Ben.

"Ugh, I understand why you're the only one using this thing, no one with a decent level of brain power has enough patience to deal with this."

"I'm not sure if that was meant to be an insult, but I think I'll take it as a compliment." said Ben to the yawning scientist.

"Anyway, I'm too worn out to keep working on enabling your Omnitrix. If you're looking for me, I'm sleeping." tiredly said Viktor, before climbing into bed, almost failing several times because of how big he was, much to Ben's amusement.

The young teen sighed, leaning on the wall behind him. He still didn't feel like he was meant to be here.

Even though Dr. Viktor didn't complain much and agreed to help him (thanks to the scientist's hatred of Vladats), it wasn't much with how everyone else looked at him. He had tried to help the other prisoners, bringing them food, sometimes even giving away his own lunch. All he received was death glares, growls, curses, and occasionally, some of them actually tried attacking him, whether or not they knew he was responsible for this whole mess.

He also saw Viktoria again, and for once, he actually missed when she had a crush on him. At least she wasn't calling him a monster and saying he was a disfigured creature back then. He also wondered where she learned those swear words she threw at him.

For now, he had nearly zero approval from Anur Transyl's population. And if it took getting help from  _Charmcaster_ last time to prevent them from pelting him in garbage, he was really desperate if he wanted anyone in the Anur system to cooperate with him.

But hey, it wasn't really the first time it happened, was it?

It didn't make the situation any better either. Hard to convince them he was good if he couldn't go Humungousaur and prevent a giant meteor from landing in the middle of town or some other hero stuff.

"You wanna take a nap on the floor or what?"

Ben turned to look at Crüjo. The others told him the thug had trouble keeping up during training, and he could relate. He himself had trouble keeping up the pace during his first soccer trainings at high school, and all the other kids made fun of him for being scrawnier and shorter in comparison. He still managed to be the best player on the team after a few months, but it wasn't so easy, especially with Cash and JT still making fun of him at that point.

"You wanna have a fight now or what?" Ben responded, looking away.

"You should really think about better comebacks next time."

"I'm not in the mood for arguing right now, so just lay off."

"Tch, and I thought you were a threat when you first came here. Now you can't even talk back to someone who can't harm you?"

"I don't want to talk about it. You'd understand, nobody likes criminals anyway."

Crüjo raised his brow, not understanding where Ben was getting at. "That was still weak coming from you. I don't understand how your friends think you can save us. How do they even put up with you?"

"Yeah, I don't understand it either. Good night." said Ben, going to bed with a sour expression.

Crüjo was confused. Early on, Tennyson had provoked him and pretty much everyone else like it was second nature. Now he had barely looked at him and avoided the conversation. He knew that teenagers, especially Earthlings, were moody, but  _damn_. He endured the whole town going after him (Crüjo had to praise Kuphulu for pulling that off), technically twice, what stopped him from ignoring the bear-like alien's remarks?

Humans were really an oddity for him.

* * *

_Two days after_

Zs'Skayr paid the gang a visit. Or at least Ben, because he didn't seem to acknowledge his henchmen moaning in pain on the other side of the room. He had given him the usual speech: Ben's a brat, the Omnitrix and the galaxy should be his instead, humans and everything that lives under a sun should die, he won this time, blah blah blah, whatever.

It was only when the Ectonurite left that Ben let out a frustrated 'jackass' behind his back, kicking a nearby plate out of impatience.

He felt like he was going insane, spending his entire time locked up in here. He didn't want to help with the army, he didn't want to stay put, but just because 'Ghostfreak' wanted to be king again, he had to drag thousands of innocent people in his stupid conquering plan, and all the blame fell on Ben.

Who couldn't blame him, really? He let Zs'Skayr escape, he didn't check if the Ectonurite wasn't on the Lovely Duck when they departed, he didn't recognize the metal prison Dr. Viktor was encased in, he fooled around instead of properly helping anyone, and now instead of fighting, all he did was sulking and walking around in front of the very people who hated his guts.

He decided that it would be nice to get his mind off a bit, so he tried to climb to his cell's window. Climbing without his powers could help him relax while his friends weren't there to talk to, and the prison's stone wall vaguely reminded him of how the climbing wall at the school's gym looked (mostly because it was in a terrible state, but he didn't care).

It took him falling twice, almost injuring himself whenever he moved, a headache coming from hunger, and a sight of the planet's moon, to decide he's had enough.

He still felt a bit unnerved, so he went for a walk, looking at the other prisoners behind bars. Almost instantly, he received spiteful looks and death threats whenever he passed by. He didn't even have the time to register when a knife nearly reached him.

He groaned. He was tired of everyone treating him like dirt. So what? He was human, they weren't. What difference did it make? Rook was an alien for this planet, Rad was too. And they still thought he was the weird one among them.

Next, he had tried numerous times to kick down the doors leading outside. His feet always stopped midway before he could reach the wooden doors, reminding him that he was being tamed like an animal.

Then, he attempted to use the watch again, but his fingers slipped away whenever he tried. No matter how many scratches he gave himself, how much his arms hurt, how he could feel that others were staring at him, he kept trying. All that stress he had almost made him indifferent to others' opinions for once. Everyone has been giving him the stink eye for his looks since he was in kindergarten, these people were almost old news.

Everything was getting redundant at this point. Leaving for another planet, in another solar system, brought him the same problems he's had before, except Scout was literally the only one to ever acknowledge him as a person and not a monster. And the fact that Zs'Skayr definitely spread around rumors to give him a bad name didn't help untangling his situation.

He didn't even feel like it was because he had the Omnitrix. No, Ben Tennyson was an abomination to everyone, even his family freaked out the first time they saw him as an alien (the second time too, since the first time, their memories were erased because of his stupid reckless behavior).

He missed home even more than ever now. He missed playing in his room, he missed arguing with Gwen and Kevin, he missed having to deal with Vilgax or Psyphon, he even missed Harangue's mean and unfounded rantings. He wanted to leave more than any of the Anurians wanted him to. For their grudge and they weren't much different from his childhood bullies at this point.

He walked around in the dirty hallways, going back to his cell, a scowl visible on his face. This new mission drove him crazy. Heck, he didn't consider it more of a mission than a trap. He was lured in there by someone, he didn't accept anything that happened for the situation to become this worse.

Yes, he was responsible for all of this. But that never meant that he tried or wanted to make everyone's lives pure hell like they were doing. He was still a hero, he'd protect Anur Transyl while he was nearby, but they had no say in who or what he was. He was Ben Tennyson, Earth's champion, the one who beat Vilgax, and the one who saved the universe countless times, even as a kid. They didn't know him, so while their words could hurt, they ignored how much he gave for their safety.

And then Ben remembered he was fine with that.

Being a hero was never about fame, money or approval from his peers. He didn't need the townspeople's advice when saving them if all they did was hating him. But it was okay, because the only thing his job ever required, was doing the right thing, for the right reasons, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.

Even when he was badmouthed on the news because of either Albedo or Kevin using his alien forms to cause him trouble, he kept helping, because that's what he wanted to do.

A hero.

If something was wrong with him, it certainly wasn't his intentions. He liked attention from his fans time to time, but it wasn't what he originally aimed for. It wasn't what he dreamed of, even when he was a kid. He had gotten the watch by fluke, but he became Earth's protector on purpose.

If he was trapped in there, it was because he acted like a fool. But then he always had someone to back him up. He was still learning, he still needed at least some backup. That's why he wasn't alone. Although he could probably use better company in this situation.

Gwen would've given him a more tactician approach, Kevin would've told him to smash stuff, Max would've told him to be careful, and Rook was already there. It would've been nice to be with them, and he admitted he didn't get along well with his cellmates. That's why he needed to adapt to what he was encountering, just like he always did before.

_'Okay, fine. I know this isn't what I imagined when I wanted to go outside and explore the world, seeing what other places have to offer. But at least I got someone to talk to. I wonder if Gwen felt this awkward getting used to Friedkin University like I am with this prison.'_ Ben thought, thinking of his cousin as the sinister dungeons reminded him of Gwen's school. _'Meh, no. She's smart and cool. And related to me. There's no way they didn't immediately like her when she came there to study. She was always more outgoing and popular with her classmates than I was with mine. Wish me luck with my own new gang, cuz'.'_

Gwen probably shared a room with her boyfriend at the campus right now (and not imprisoned in a medieval style basement with horror movies teammates), so if Ben wanted to get used to this place, he would simply need to share a room with his partner and best friend. And his friend. And their current pilot. And a trio of criminals.

Okay, maybe it wasn't this simple. But he'd get over it.

Feeling lighter after his emotional field trip, he finally reached his destination and, needy for sleep, he happily jumped into bed without looking, abruptly landing on someone's stomach.

"Argh!"

"Sorry!" apologized Ben, getting off of the furry being. "Oh hey, uhhh... Crüjo, was it?"

"Hmm..." groaned Crüjo. "Your friends dropped a mountains of question when they came back and I didn't know what to answer. Where were you at?"

"Just went for a walk, needed some space. You know, 'cause I live on another planet!"

The bear-like alien raised a brow, before huffing. "Haha, very funny. Too bad I'm not from here either, I couldn't find your joke funny."

"Wait, you're not from Anur Transyl?!"

"I am, like all Loboans, from Luna Lobo, the moon turning around this planet. You'd know that since you're a Plumber."

"Yeaaaaaah, Rook and Gwen are the smart guys, not me. And Kevin too. And Grandpa. Actually, I'm not really the brain of my team, I'm just the Leader. I punch bad guys, wreck death machines and stuff, save the world." shrugged Ben. "I really don't know much about other planets, didn't you see how I reacted when we landed here?"

"How couldn't I? You were making so much noise I didn't know if your species had a primal scream like mine does or if you were trying to lure me by drawing attention to yourself."

"Well, excuse me for thinking you guys look cool. Heh, I really think Kai would've loved it there."

"That girl again?" asked Crüjo. "What about her? Beside the fact that I'd 'make the perfect lapdog for her'?" he added, making Ben regret he made that joke, back when he didn't know the situation was critical.

"Oh, nothing. She's just my... my... my first childhood crush." he answered, averting his eyes.

"So what, she likes dark places and new environments? There are tons of other planets for that beside the Anur planets."

"Well, she is an archaeologist, but..." Ben looked at him. "Rook and Scout didn't tell you?"

"Um, no?"

_'Good, that means Rook wasn't the one who spread the rumors about my hair gel at the HQ either.'_  thought Ben. "Well, I saw her a few days ago before leaving Earth and... well..."

"Well?"

"...turns out she liked all of my alien forms more than me."

"Well, she can't be the only one feeling like that, I guess." teased Crüjo. "Still, wouldn't your Revonnahgander friend's home planet be more interesting? With the power fruits in there or whatever they are?"

"No, the reason I thought I had a chance with her as a kid was because..." he gulped down. "She fell in love with me becoming Blitzwolfer, not really me."

"Who?"

"Blitzwolfer. My Loboan form."

"Oh, yeah. One of our old associates told me about giving you that form." Crüjo said. Then he realized what was wrong with Ben's love problems. "Wait, she fell for you only because you looked like my people?!"

"...yeah." Ben answered. He suddenly realized he had no reason to tell one of his enemies about an embarrassing memory like that. But before he could berate himself for that, Crüjo intervened.

"Man, that's harsh! Being dumped because you're not from another planet or species. I really wouldn't want to be you in this case."

"Hmm?" Ben was surprised he hadn't received a mockery or any more teasing.

"I got that you're probably not the best looking human on your planet, but that's terrible. Like, do you think of her dumping you when you look at me?"

"Uh, no? I mean, I guess I remember how she wanted to tame me and all when she realized what I could do, but honestly it's not that deep."

"Uh, yes it is! I can't believe you're the one who caused my master so many problems. If you let someone like that girl play you like a fiddle, it's a wonder how you were able to fend yourself against us. How do you cope with knowing someone would rather treat you like an animal than talking to you as an equal?"

"Are you... are you worried about  _me_?" Ben asked. Since when does prison make you get along with others.

"What? No. I'm worried about that Blitzwolfer guy."

_'Uh, what?'_

"Us Loboans should stick together. Honor is something we take very seriously, even 'Little Police Dog' here knows that. And if my people know something about respect and honor, it's definitely not what that old crush of yours gave."

"So, you're saying you're worried for my alien form, but not me."

"Why would I be worried for one of my enemies? We're not friends as far as I know."

"And as far as I know, it's just that for someone who was pissed that she treated me like something I wasn't, you seem to do the same." Ben frowned, showing the Omnitrix to him. "It's still me in there, no matter what form I choose. If you're not taking my defense when you take Blitzwolfer's, are you saying I didn't deserve being led on only because I became your species then?"

Crüjo was stunned from Ben's delivery.

"You just treated me like she did, you really only like the side of me that isn't the real me."

That's when he realized how hypocritical he had been from the beginning of their conversation. The kid was still thinking of someone who broke his heart to this day,  _despite being imprisoned and probably about to be tortured_ , and Crüjo twisted the knife in the wound by reminding him of that event. Repeatedly. He also kept belittling the kid since they met and when he just claimed being a honorable person, he wasn't taking into consideration his feelings when confronting him about the whole issue and actually proved himself to be worse than the human who hurt Tennyson's fragile heart.

He was being an hypocrite even when following his species' code of honor. It probably didn't help that "Blitzwolfer" was a Loboan too then, because he just rubbed his failed romance on the guy's face. Technically, Tennyson was a Loboan too, using his Omnitrix. Did that mean he deserved better than what he was given?

No, he still caused many problems to his Master, he needed to be put back in his place.

Then again, they were all stuck in the same mess and Tennyson had at least tried fixing it since he got trapped in here with them, even if it failed. And while he was being as obnoxious as he always had been, he did just show a more sensitive side of himself to Crüjo, regardless of being on opposite sides. He also made a point on how unfair it was that just because he looked weaker and uglier than Anurians, he was treated badly and got pelted with garbage on his first day on the planet.

Even the commotion he caused with the town was mostly Kuphulu's fault for playing victim despite still being in perfect shape when returning to Zs'Castle Zs'Skayr. And Tennyson did try to stop Lord Transyl when he enslaved them, even if the means to do that weren't very likable. And even if the kid was a terrible planner, he had scored a few strategy points on both attempts to stop the Vladat king.

_And even_  when that failed, he didn't give up and tried to sympathize with other prisoners, although it terribly failed. But even after that, he still wasn't giving up. He kept looking for solutions, consulted Viktor for some advice, tried to cheer everyone up by talking about his probably exaggerated heroic acts, attempted contacting reinforcement despite not being tech savvy, and he actually apologized for beating them up when they first went into the dungeons.

He wondered if the booger's death was the first murder the kid ever saw. If it was, then Crüjo had witnessed the kid going on PTSD the first day. Then why wasn't he being antagonistic with him and the others? He should be, since they caused him to see that.

By all accounts, Tennyson had a point and was being generally decent to other people despite his cheeky attitude. Crüjo, on the other hand, just realized how wrong he had treated the kid or how unfounded his opinion was when the human tried helping them and stopped being as big an annoyance as he was.  
Scratch that, Tennyson just proved to Crüjo he was being a big hypocrite! For a thug who doesn't like being proven wrong, Crüjo was the one put back in his place after dealing with the human for almost a week.

He felt so dumbfounded by Ben's words and logic, he found himself babbling instead of talking when he answered.

"Uhhhh... well... I, um..."

Ben didn't really look mad, he just gave an unimpressed look to the werewolf alien before simply climbing on the bed above Crüjo's.

"Well, I-"

"It's fine, you don't need to explain yourself. You're really not the first person to do this, and you definitely won't be the last person to tell me things like that."

"Uh, what do you mean by that?"

"There's my fans, but there's other girls that liked me that did the same. I don't really mind."

"Wait, really?! There are people interested in  _you_?"

"Yeah." Ben followed, not realizing one second that Crüjo wasn't taking him seriously. "There is, hmm, let's see: there's Kai, who I met six years ago during summer while fighting another of Zs'Skayr's men, Looma the Tetramand Princess who was supposed to go with Kevin instead, Attea the Incursean Princess that I got both in and out of prison... I guess Ester is legitimately interested by the real me."

The teen kept blabbering about his past, slowly taking the werewolf-like man's skepticism away. Ben talked as if he had experience with girls before. Sure, he must've had some fans back on his ugly planet, but he hardly recalled anything about people away from Earth gaining interest in humans, especially Tennyson. Hard to believe any of this was true.

"I'm not sure for Julie though, I mean, we broke up but she didn't seem to mind the alien thing that much, only when I almost took control of the universe. And I knew a Tetramand girl from the Galactic Enforcers that flirted with me but chose Four Arms (then her moving brain friend) over me as soon as I timed out."

Crüjo wondered when their conversations had taken a turn from Tennyson's role on his home planet to Tennyson's past failed romances. He kept listening the teen hero talk about his relationships, having a hard time registering what he was hearing.

"Then there's Jennifer, a movie star I once rescued from several kidnappings attempts, but I don't think she was really interested in any part of me. Plus she ended up dating the villain that kidnapped her in the first place, so... it's complicated. There's Julie, who I dated for over a year but we broke up because... let's move on to someone else. There's also Gwen's best friend Emily, but she kinda hates me after I left her hanging on top of a radio tower after our first date. I kind of wonder which school she went to now that Gwen's in college. And during third grade, I liked..."

* * *

"...Elena and I couldn't date again after that but I'm fine with it, I don't think she'd be okay after all that thing with the nanochips. I mean, I don't mind partially technological beings, I already said that when I told you about Eunice, but things were still kinda rocky between us. And, if her dad was still around, I don't think he'd approve of us staying together. He didn't like the way I looked at her last time we met (unless it was just another copy). And..."

Anyone who ever told the now speechless Crüjo that outsiders had no social skills must've not known how relationships on other planets worked. Because if what Tennyson said was true, it was possible for someone as brash as the teen to have romanced at least 10 young girls, some of which weren't even from his solar system!

And even though it made sense that 90% of those relationships failed terribly, the simple fact that Tennyson even managed to  _start_  them to begin with was hard to take in. Who would want to romance a kid this reckless, immature and cocky?!

"...no, really, I don't think I have a thing with Viktoria. I mean, she was kind when she first saw me, but she's just too young and definitely not my type. And then she chased me to maul me after I accidentally threw her into a lake. Then she crushed on me again when I had pimples all over my face!" Ben exclaimed while thinking of the event again. "Seriously, little girls like her change their minds so fast, your boss barely had the time to resurrect the Vladats that she already 'dumped' me again! That's one heck of a puppy crush if I've ever seen one."

He didn't notice the baffled look his current cellmate was giving him until he realized he had been the only one talking for a few hours now. He took a look and saw the silent Crüjo laying still in the bunk under his.

"Uh, dude? You okay there?"

No response.  _'I think I broke him. Did he have his heart broken too? Man, I hope I didn't remind him of that.'_

"Uhh, hello? Anyone here?" he asked as he poked the bear-like Loboan's muzzle. "Hey, are you still with me?"

Seemingly snapped out of his thought, Crüjo blinked, shaking his head before he gave a more skeptical look.

"You're telling me that's what you do all day? Go around and use whatever charm you have to get girls to like you?"

"I wish. They just move on their lives when I'm not here enough, and I kinda feel lost when I try to contact them again. You know how it was with Julie and Kai."

"Well, aren't you a looker?"

"Thanks! I appreciate that." Ben answered.

Crüjo huffed. Why was the kid still so damn positive after everything he saw and how people treated him as an off-worlder? Was he really that nonchalant?

Yet again, he seemed to have a breakdown the day he saw the green midget get killed...

"Any problem?" he asked.

"Why are you happy like this all the time?"

_"You think I don't know? When it's hero time, if I mess up, somebody could die. From what you told me, if we mess up this time, everybody could die."_

"Beside, like, twenty minutes ago?"

"...yes."

_"Maybe that's too much to have in your head when you have to win. Maybe if I pretend everything's a big joke, when the time comes, I'll be able to do what I have to do."_

"Guess I'm just oblivious." Ben's smile faltered, remembering what his younger self said at the Forge of Creation.

"Wait, really?" asked Crüjo. "That's... seriously what makes you do that?"

"Yeah, I usually don't stay focused on the gruesome stuff for that long. I'm kinda creeped out, but that doesn't stop me from having a good time. I know it's not always helpful when I need to work on something serious, but hey, if it works, it works!"

"Hmm, and how is that any help to you? We had you in so many unfavorable situations, and I don't see how your jokes and quips have any role in getting you out of those."

"I gotta stay upbeat for the team." Ben said with the most solemn voice ever.

"W... W-What?"

"People count on me every day. If I'm enthusiastic for the hero job, others will know I got them covered. I may be scared of what I have to deal with sometimes, but if I keep a cool head and show that I'm not backing down on doing what I gotta do, everyone will feel safe, and no one will even need to worry a bit about what was threatening them before."

Ben received yet another stare from Crüjo.

"You have a weird philosophy, kid."

"Is it wrong, though?"

"I said it was weird, not that I got what it even meant."

"Eh, it's fine, don't think too much about it. I just got my reasons."

"Still, how do you even keep up with that? I would've lost hope days ago if I didn't know Master Zs'Skayr wouldn't let anything bad happen to us."

Ben didn't know whether to chuckle because of Crüjo's blind loyalty (he truly could be a lapdog sometimes), or feel bad because he knew Zs'Skayr probably wouldn't bother helping his men.

"I just always got the right company. As a kid, I got my grandpa and cousin. Then, my friend Kevin joined the team. When they both left for college, I met Rook and we became friends. They're my friends and family, I can always count on them to cheer me up when I need to. If you're with people that can make your day better, you know you got the right company."

"Simply that? What are even the standards to become part of that circle?"

"There's no real standard to be a friend. We stick together, even for a few hours, we talk, we help each other out. It's as simple as that." explained Ben.

"So what? I talked with you for almost a week, I didn't make you cry your fragile human heart out, I'm imprisoned in this cell with you, your partner and mines. And the feathered trigger-happy fiend with us. Does that mean I or any of us count as your... "friends"?"

"It's okay if you don't want, just know you're good in my book."

"We could turn on each other anytime, you still think it's fine if I stay near you?"

"I think we can both agree I wouldn't think of betraying so soon, have you seen my performance in battle? I'm not always that much of a tactical fighter, I wouldn't think about betraying any time soon."

"And if I do?"

Ben rolled his eyes.

"You really think you'd be the first? Your master didn't tell you about when I teamed up with Vilgax, or about who Kevin is."

Once more, Ben's cellmate was speechless, making the teen wonder if he'd have an occasion to impress his opponents like he did some time in the future.

"And to be honest, it's kinda nice that you even agreed to talk with me at all. Usually I do all the talk while all I get is negative remarks, complaints and other stuff telling me to hurry saving the day, it felt nice that you listened. Even if you don't like me and you just do this to save yourself, you really made an effort to talk to me without trying to gain my sympathy for money or because you got blackmailed."

Somewhere else on Earth, Simian and Argit believed they got a cold as they sneezed simultaneously, probably because of their failed attempts to con Vilgax about curing his own cold.

"So, Crüjo, what do you say? How about we call a truce? Deal?", Ben held out his hand to the bunk under him.

The growl answering either meant he refused, or that Ben simply forgot the thug was unable to move.

"Sorry!" he apologized as he went down. "Uh, how do I?..." He put his hand on the Loboan's head, next to his furry ears. "Deal?"

Crüjo looked away, not liking Ben's performance at making peace. Ben brushed his ears.

"Deal." Crüjo annoyingly growled as Ben retracted his hand. He knew it wasn't just an Earth thing when Kai brushed Blitzwolfer's fur, though he could see a small hint of a smirk on Crüjo's jaw after he got back to his bed.

Maybe things wouldn't be that rocky until they escape.

He was interrupted from his musings when he heard heavy footsteps. Both prisoners looked over to the entry to see an exhausted Viktor come in, before landing face first on a nearby bed.

"Ughhh, wake me up next year." came from the Transylian's mouth.

"You okay there, buddy?" Ben asked, before ungraciously dodging a lightning spark coming at him. Now he had a burnt area on the wall next to him for the next few days of his stay on Anur. "Okay, never mind." Ben hurriedly turned away.

Well, at least one of them trusted him, it was a start.

"Why do you even bother, Tennyson? Can't you see I'm not in the mood to deal with a pest like you?" asked Viktor, fully aware that Ben risked getting electrocuted if he dared answer.

"Um, Viktor?" asked Crüjo.

"Yes?", Viktor said, any hint of hostility suddenly vanishing from his voice, though he still sounded and looked tired.

"You know, if you need to vent out, we could always talk." he suggested.

"I'd be delighted! Thanks for the suggestion!"

_'Yup,'_  Ben noted,  _'that's a full 180° if I've seen one.'_

"Tennyson, wanna join in?"

Both Ben and Viktor stared at the Loboan, a shocked stare from Viktor and an interested, intrigued look from Ben from above.

"I get that he can hear us and we need to work together on this, but does he really need to take part in our conversation?" asked Viktor.

"Well, a certain  _someone_ ", he said as he avoided eye contact with the teen, "advised me that if we have to stick together, we must try to communicate a bit, as it's supposedly what a team does. I figured, if we have to team up with a babbler like Tennyson, we should give it a shot. And if he tries anything funny, we can always take on him when he can't use his Omnitrix."

"Can't really disagree here." grinned Ben.

"Hmph, fine. But don't expect me to become your best friend, Tennyson." His threat made Ben discreetly chuckle. "So, where should I start? I was trying to reach that impossibly difficult target, when that stranglable vampiric aristocrat comes in and..."

* * *

Ben later learned how devoted the scientist could be to obey his master. And how much he hated Vladats.

The young hero guessed Whampire would truly be unwelcome to the team while Viktor was around, he'd really need a good reason to avoid the man gutting him if he ever picks Whampire in battle.

The doctor really wasn't friendly, but he could be talked through with someone to keep his anger down. And as long Ben gave him his lunch (he really needed to get chili fries as soon as he goes home, and he'd definitely rush to Mr. Smoothie), Viktor was less grouchy than he appeared to be.

Ben needed to unite the others around him, he just had trouble doing so. He got Earth's faith back after saving it from an Incursean invasion, maybe if he defeated the Vladats, it would make things easier, though he knew it wouldn't be too easy either, as it'd mean Zs'Skayr's plan would fail. He wondered if the ghost alien's henchmen would forgive him and go back to work when this whole mess is over.

At last, his first week on Anur seemed to be over. He just hoped Rook and Scout didn't wear themselves out with their self-made Plumber techniques, or that Rad wouldn't let one of his guns slip during training, they needed the rest of the inhabitants alive to save the planet.

But would they ever trust him if he did?

* * *

_Present time_

"And you should've seen him! He looked like he was on a roller-coaster when I took him over the town. You should tell me if there's an amusement park in this town, I wanna see how the Haunted Houses look in here."

"Heh, seems you two had a lot of fun saving the day, kiddo." said Crüjo.

"Haha, we sure did! I was so thrilled to be back in action, and he liked being a hero too. I guess it's fun if you're the one who got jailed every time to beat up those who did you wrong."

"It was certainly a change when you came here."

"Wonder if Scout could recruit some-" Ben stopped, looking at the Loboan.

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Tennyson?"

"Uh, well... it's nothing. I just..." he looked at the thug's forehead, "...I just felt like that Corruptura was looking straight at me. Must've been my imagination."

"You and me both there, kid. These things are scary when you know what they can do." Crüjo said as he brushed the fiend over his face.

They got back to the cell, their tour of the dungeons reaching its end.

"We're back." said Crüjo.

"Hey, Kuphulu."

"What's up, Tennyson?" said the Thep Khufan.

"Did he tell you guys about the lab?" he asked, receiving a confused look from his cellmates.

"I was waiting for you to come back and help me explain." said Kuphulu.

"Okay, so...", he turned to Viktor.

* * *

_"...Must've been my imagination."_

Someone was knocking at the door.

Lord Transyl cut off the connection. He hadn't expected his slave to notice he was being spied on. Yet again, Ben Tennyson was a young lad full of surprises, realizing the Corrupturas were being used to check on him was something he was very capable of.

"Enter, Ectonurite." Lord Transyl said as Zs'Skayr phased through the door.

"My apologies, Lord Transyl, but we must discuss the current issue."

"I do not care if the prisoners are slowly dying. Remember that as long as I am in charge of this planet and as long as the young human is in my grasp, I consider them expandable."

"I have to admit I was already aware of that." said Zs'Skayr, though one could see his eye twitch when Ben was mentioned. "But that isn't what we need to discuss. When Tennyson entered the laboratories, he saw..."

"I know." Lord Transyl hissed, turning his back to Zs'Skayr. "That incompetent Transylian would almost deserve a punishment for what he did to my empire." He angrily clutched his chest, where the injury had still not healed.

* * *

"I failed?!" shouted a shocked Viktor.

"Yup." Ben and Kuphulu nodded.

"But, my calculations! And my degrees in..."

"In all cases, the deed is done. You didn't resurrect the Vladats correctly, they're all sick, they can't fight anymore. Lord Transyl managed to pull through and the Omnitrix gave me a healthy sample for Whampire to turn into, but that's about it." Ben said.

"So that's why they weren't there yesterday against the Incurseans attacking. They were all in bad health... because of me?"

"I think we can both agree we were lucky you failed your Master's orders this time, it means Lord Transyl hasn't regained all of his strength, he can be defeated."

"That means we have a way of escaping and saving the universe from the Vladats rising!" exclaimed Rook.

"We still got a problem on our hands." said Scout. "With the Corrupturas still active, we won't be able to take him by surprise, attacking him or paralyzing him. He can stop us and enslave us any time soon."

"Indeed, and without freedom of our movements," Crüjo huffed, "we won't be able to save everyone."

"Can't we try to help the other citizens or get them to help us get rid of these insects?" complained Kuphulu.

"I believe the Corrupturas are more of genetically engineered body-controlling bats."

Everyone turned to Rook with a frustrated eye.

"It's. An. Expression." They collectively told him.

"Oh."

"Scout, tell me, was he also like that when you two were at the academy?" Ben asked.

"Yes, yes he was. I stopped counting after the first three days of missing the point of my metaphors."

"Hey!" Rook pouted.

"Don't take it bad, cat boy." said Crüjo as he patted Rook's back.

"Still, shouldn't we try something just to make our escape easier?" suggested Viktor.

"Bad idea." answered Kuphulu. "We only had the day off. I doubt he'd let us roam free any longer. Lord Transyl could put us back to training when he wants."

"And when could that be?"

There had been no time to answer, because everyone except Ben suddenly stood straight, including Scout who came down the bed in a mechanical way.

Seeing their shocked, angry and somewhat desperate looks, Ben couldn't help but comment. "I think that means now."

A bunch of groans and tired growls could be heard from outside, indistinguishable from the other cells for whoever didn't know the group. Ben saw them forcefully leave the cell, looking back at him with a worn out expression.

"I'll keep the fort in check while you guys are busy training." Ben told them.

"Don't forget to feed if you don't want to fall sick too." advised Viktor.

"See ya!" Ben waved to them as they went away.

He felt that they were about to wave back when they were gone. It wasn't much of a problem if they couldn't, he knew they were on good terms for now.

It felt kinda weird to become friends with them so easily.

He remembered that he, Kevin and Gwen had a few issues at first, and it helped when they tried to bail Kevin out of the Null Void last time Zs'Skayr invaded (Lucy's unhelpful attitude helped them back then), or when he absorbed the Omnitrix again but he and Gwen briefly talked to him. Those were the good old days of going on a road trip. Maybe one would help Zs'Skayr henchmen (or maybe even ex-henchmen) loosen up further near him if he invited them on one, when Lord Transyl is gone for good.

For now, he felt that he could trust them. Things were kinda rocky, but they had at least some faith in him.

He hopped on his bed, waiting for lunch to arrive. It wasn't easy, but they'd do this. Together.

He messed up the first time, he'll mess up again, but he always manages to get back on his feet.

Regardless of the past, of the issue and of the risks, he wasn't gonna cower down when he knew many people had his back.

He could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *puts on a cap and opens an umbrella, to dodge the flurry of late chapter complaints downing on me* *drowns anyway*
> 
> Hello there!
> 
> In case you noticed, yup, I pulled a reverse Peridemption (excluding calling Zs'Skayr a "CLOD!") on Ben with Crüjo, Kuphulu and Viktor, blame the color green for that.
> 
> Now that Ben managed to get all of the Anur Trio on his side and that they found the weak point in Zs'Skayr's plans, could he find a way to escape the vampire's clutches?
> 
> Don't forget to review if you liked, and see you guys next time! *warps aways*


	7. Chapter 6: Mutual Gain

**Chapter 6: Mutual Gain**

The guys were gone for training again, and Ben was relieved his cabin fever was gone for now.

He had yet to find a way to use the Omnitrix. Last time, he had to count on Kuphulu being free to help, and before, the Omnitrix's safety features had saved him. He wondered just how far the watch's capacities in saving his butt could go.

_'If it can contain Alien X and a living planet like Gravattack, could it stop, like, a black hole or a Big Bang? Better not try it, I don't need Azmuth to put me on timeout with everything I do.'_

Ben still felt he missed the good old times. Going out for smoothies, getting chili fries, going to the movies with Rook, visiting Kevin at his garage, talking teenage stuff with Gwen... This mission, while failed, took a lot of time on both his hero schedule and his regular teen schedule, Max would better give him a month worth of vacation for the time he lost in prison after this.

He wondered what he could.

Join the others in training? Sure, why not give it a try? It'd definitely be hard to keep up with the others fighting like puppets, but he could help.

Going to the other parts of the dungeons? The townspeople could've warmed up to him, but he seriously doubted it was the case, especially since some people didn't survive the battle.

Trying to get out? His Corruptura would immediately warn someone of his plan, and unless he could escape far away quick enough that'd be of no use, especially since Lord Transyl still had control over it, he could probably force Ben to come back.

He rested his hand on his forehead, right where the little critter was. It stayed on him for days, he couldn't imagine having something that tiny stuck on him forever. He actually felt it was going through his skin, though there was no pain unless he pulled on it or tried to squash it. And that thing was the bane of his time on this planet.

It was as if someone put a dog leash on him, like it gave him a semblance of freedom, but he still was a prisoner. He was marked as a slave, he couldn't disobey or run away, and as long as the Corruptura would be there, he'd never be able to be free again.

He had noticed the other prisoners were giving him glares when he walked with Crüjo a few days ago. They didn't like that he was more free of his movements than they were, looking like a privileged freak to them. He wished he could do the same for them, but he doubted it was possible without Whampire. And if he did, they'd try to kill him twice under his Vladat form.

He couldn't get Lord Transyl to free them, could he? Actually, he didn't even get how he could explain why he was treated differently. The vampire alien had chosen him, of all people, a human, as his personal slave. It almost felt like saying he was his favorite, except it didn't work that well if he was the favorite of a life-sucking overlord.

He was still confused on Lord Transyl's intent of keeping a close eye on him this way. He remembered the moment they've spent on the balcony, when the alien had tried to talk Ben out of fighting. Lord Transyl for some reason kept being interested in Ben, and it scared the young hero to know why. He said he couldn't afford to lose Ben, but why did he say that?

Ben felt useless up to that point, it was bumming him out. He didn't train, he didn't help, he couldn't help or fight on his own, he needed to be assisted to even do anything (he still remembered how the others literally dragged him to the throne room at the beginning, when he was paralyzed). So why would Lord Transyl even keep him?

He said he liked Ben's defiance, the way he still didn't give up or submit. Ben knew some bad guys loved doing that, where they like to see the good guys retaliate like in dog fighting, as if it was some kind of game to entertain themselves. But all Ben did was talking back numerous times and barely even try to escape. How was that any defiant? How was that enjoyable? How did someone who was supposed to be his enemy enjoy when he was being cheeky?

He even remembers when Lord Transyl seemed amused, when he was still dealing with Zs'Skayr. The man truly enjoyed that, even if they were meant to be enemies. Why did he like having Ben around like that, toying with him and getting uncomfortably close to touching him? He knew bad guys liked to torture the good guys, but this was different from the others. He was being treated differently.

Another thing Ben couldn't understand, was why he suddenly stopped fighting back for a moment. On the balcony, he just... suddenly gave up. He didn't remember what happened exactly, he just blanked out for a few seconds and let Lord Transyl get near, almost biting him before Attea went for a rescue. He hadn't minded what was going on at the moment, as if whatever was about to happen didn't bother him, and it's a thought that now scared Ben.

Why was he acting so weird? Why did he just, do that? It felt as if whatever Lord Transyl had in mind when keeping him around, it was affecting him well, he didn't know what he was doing anymore.

Could the Vladat have hypnotized him? But he failed last time, he couldn't just reattempt it and it'd suddenly work. That's never how powers work (he felt hypocritical for some reason he wanted to brush aside). Lord Transyl had something that ended Ben's struggle briefly, and it terrified Ben to know what else he could do.

And what terrified him even more, were the sudden chills he felt all over his body. He felt himself move and, without a second thought, he left the cell.

_'What's going on?'_

Instinctively, he knew he had to go somewhere. He felt someone was giving him directions, making him come, beckoning him.

The Master of the Vladats was calling for his slave.

* * *

"How can you do this all day?" asked Scout, panting.

"What? Are you telling me you stopped training after last time we met?" teased Rook, laying on the ground too.

"No, I still do. But I can't keep up with you anymore." he heaved. "Where did you learn... to do stuff... that crazy?"

Rook had rolled a few acrobatics, showed new moves, had his Proto-Tool equipped with unusual weapons, and didn't seem that tired after the training. His old classmate and best friend from Plumber Academy had really changed during his time on Earth with Ben Tennyson.

"Ben has been quite... the source of inspiration for a few new moves. His recklessness and original way of getting himself in trouble often helped our creativity. You should see the techniques we have made. Though I am not sure you would be brave and irresponsible enough to consider trying one of them."

Both Plumbers laughed out, while the three henchmen next to them had been resting on the ground, against the wall.

"For people being tooled like puppets, you sound like you have a lot of fun over there." bemoaned Viktor, his muscles sore from the exercising.

"Hey, you... look like... you can... keep up too!" said a tired Crüjo.

"Unlike you two, I'm used to Tennyson and his friends' antics. I was thrown into space, another dimension, toyed around with a mad king and Tennyson's energy absorbing friend, turned into a living iron figurine before."

His comrades looked at him. "Well, beside the dimension and figure thing, seems like nothing has changed for you." shrugged Kuphulu.

"When did our lives become this weird."

"Probably when Zs'Skayr decided to endanger Ben and the rest of the Galaxy." said Rook, receiving a glare from the three men. They were still loyal to him after all, it would take time to agree on who's to blame for now.

Scout didn't need that. "Which time?"

"Hm?"

"Which time did Zs'Skayr do that? His time on Earth? Vilgaxia's invasion? What he did a few weeks from now? Another moment where he came back to life I have no knowledge of?"

Rook snorted. "You and Ben have a similar humor, a shame you did not spend time with him in a better situation than this."

"Yeah well, I wish he was there with us now. This place is depressing enough on its own." Scout said, looking at the training ground.

The other citizens were battling in pain, both physically and emotionally. Ben hadn't joined them yet, he looked healthy. At least it felt nice to know unlike everyone else, he managed to keep his head up (well, aside from the occasional self-doubts moments he witnessed). Looks like Lord Transyl didn't manage to take away his smile for the time being.

The Loboan Plumber hoped it'd stay that way.

* * *

Ben wondered what the vampire lord had in store for him this time.

Threaten him about torturing his friends to make him submit? Give up the Omnitrix to Zs'Skayr so he could make an alien clone army the way Vilgax did, except looking like Halloween monsters (that would actually look cool)? Use his powers in another way to make sure Ben would comply to his orders and act like a tool you put on a shelf?

Hard to guess which, his whereabouts weren't as known to everyone before as they were now. What he'd have to face was a mystery.

Seeing as he arrived in front of another door, he breathed in for a few seconds. He was called to come, it definitely wasn't going to be fun. He decided to knock before pushing the wooden door open.

As expected, he saw Lord Transyl and Zs'Skayr. Unexpectedly, this wasn't anything like a torture room or something akin to a headmaster's office. Was this... Lord Transyl's chambers?

Lord Transyl made Ben come to his room.

"Well, Tennyson has decided to join us again." said Zs'Skayr's throaty voice, as he raised his scythe. "I should've known you would've tried to escape sooner or later."

_'That's the first thing anyone would do, ecto-face.'_

" _I_  summoned him to be here." hissed Lord Transyl. "You should stop making assumptions about my slave at every turn, only I know how to keep him in line and make him do my bidding."

_'Yeah, right.'_

"My excuses, Lord Transyl, but I have dealt with a pest like Tennyson for years. No matter what happens, he always tries to escape fate." The smile on Lord Transyl's midnight black lips suggested that wasn't necessarily a bad thing for them. "Even when he's under total control, he's a nuisance that requires a lot of effort to bring down."

"Understood, Ectonurite. Now leave, I have matters to discuss with him. He's my slave, it is my role to discipline him."

Ben felt Zs'Skayr was rolling his eyes too, even if those weren't at the same place as his were. He now found himself alone with the man, as the ghost alien phased through the floor.

He felt Lord Transyl's controlling stare directed at him, and he felt he couldn't move back or run away. Nothing new, in short.

"You needed me for something?" asked Ben, crossing his hands.

The Vladat approached him, his purple eyes gazing at the young hero. There was hunger, arrogance, power and dominance in the look he gave.

"Why, yes indeed, my dear slave." said Lord Transyl. Before Ben knew it, the vampire alien towered over him, his face uncomfortably close to the teen's. "I recall telling you to stay put last time you joined a fight."

"And I remember saving your royal butt, you're welcome by the way." teased Ben with a smirk.

An impatient grunt came from Lord Transyl, whose evil smile still hasn't faltered. "It does not matter whether or not you did well, my slave. You still disobeyed a direct order. And while normally I'd punish you for that, your little show earned you  _some_  of my mercy."

"Great, so I'm not grounded or anything? Can I go now?"

Lord Transyl took his clawed finger to Ben's chin, his other hand behind Ben's back. "You still act as defiant as always, don't you, Ben Tennyson?" he chuckled at Ben's slight surprise. "No matter what I do, you still refuse to accept your new life in my empire."

"I don't care about all of that." said Ben. "If people are in danger, I'll intervene to help no matter what, you can't force me to change or abandon being a hero that easy."

Lord Transyl's grin growing did nothing to reassure him.

The Vladat's eyes were spiraling again, and once again, Ben felt relaxed, as if any worry he had before, any problem he encountered never happened at all. "You know your place is with me, not with those pathetic weaklings you call your 'friends'." he whispered with his husky voice, just enough for Ben to hear him, and serve him. "I have the power of a thousand armies, a thousand kingdoms within my grasp. All it would take for you to find the fortune you seek, the bliss of being mine, is to renounce fighting and assume your role by my side, my dearest and most exceptional slave."

Ben was hesitant. The daze he was in wasn't letting him think straight, and Lord Transyl's voice was compelling, charming, almost convincing him. Yet, that did nothing to discourage his sense of justice.

In a few seconds, Ben blinked and snapped out of the hypnosis, much like last time.

Lord Transyl hummed, caressing Ben's cheek. "You stand still, but it's only a matter of time before you stop resisting, Ben Tennyson."

"I hope I'll have enough of my brain left to see that, Lord Transyl." teased Ben.

His fear seemed to have dropped now that he knew what his opponent was capable of.

"Such a shame you still refuse to give in to the shadows, young human. Your performance as an imitation of a Vladat wasn't as disappointing as I would've expected." Lord Transyl retracted his hand from Ben's face.

"Hey, Whampire gave you a run for your money each time, you don't have to pretend to say you're impressed by me." said Ben.

"Impressed wouldn't be the right word. You were somewhat amusing, and I have to say I didn't expect you to reach that potential with my powers that fast."

"It's my thing, I'm a quick learner. I go with my guts, I don't need thousands of years of existence and learning royal manners to rival with you."

"You would have been an interesting subject had you been born a Vladat, rather than a mere human."

"I could've been and am a lot of things, thanks." Ben showed his wrist to the king, putting some distance between them. "Of course, it's not like I never learned how to use these powers six years ago. I'm not like the others you imprisoned, you're right, but I'm different in the sense that I knew how to fight for my life before you came into the picture. And I'm not going to let my friends put themselves in danger if they can't help it but I can."

His tone was determined, and while he still didn't look like he got the advantage in his battle of wills with Lord Transyl, it seemed to have made its effect. Lord Transyl took a few seconds to ponder.

His slave didn't and would not give up that easily. The more he was kept in cage, the more he tried to escape. It was pointless keeping him trapped if he'd fight back whenever he was brought back in. Then...

_'All he needs is a bigger, better cage.'_

"I hear you, my slave, and I understand your reasons. But you should still avoid damaging yourself too, I can't afford to lose you for such foolish reasons."

Ben rolled his eyes.  _'So what, he cares?'_

"For this reason, I will allow you to make a change in your imprisonment conditions." That piqued Ben's interest. "You will be able to choose how my rule over you goes, for once. You can choose to stay with your 'friends', while they're under my control and you'll have to watch them go through all that hard work and pain. Or... you could come by my side, leave the dungeons and become my one and only servant forever."

Ben stared at the man before him. He was... giving him a suggestion? This was obviously a trap. Another ploy to make Ben leave his friends and manipulate him into willingly surrendering. He had to choose to stay with them. But...

He hadn't done much beside joining them in the fight before. He fainted when he got them free, he let them fight for him, he needed assistance to go hero. He wasn't really being much useful while with them, he just stood there while everyone was fighting, suffering and dying.

The way he was currently, it wouldn't make much of a change if he was with them or not. They were all being puppeteered without control over their movements. He was the only one able to move freely, and he didn't do much. If only they weren't stuck like that...

"What about a third option?"

* * *

"Come on!" complained Scout, once again laying on the ground with his best friend.

"I. Am. Exhausted."

"We still got 5 hours going before we can and have to rest." moaned Kuphulu.

"We already have to rest, we just can't." said Crüjo.

Training equaled suffering at that point. It made Scout wonder if Vladats had knowledge of how military training worked, because pushing them to the edge this way was  _not_  the way to go.

"I hope Ben is doing alright." sighed Rook. "With all that fuss over the mission failing, he needs it."

Their Corrupturas' eyes shone. This probably meant they had another ask to do.  _'Great.'_  Then all of a sudden, their muscles relaxed, and they fell (well, they technically already hit the floor before that happened).

It took a few minutes for the group to react in any way. They were staying still, catching their breaths, making up for weeks of humiliation and pain. Scout was the first one to respond.

"We're free!" he gasped while he stood back, putting a hand on the wall to help himself.

"Rngh! What... what happened?" asked Rook.

"Hey, doc, any hint on what's going on?"

"No idea. Ah, my gears!" said Viktor, rubbing his back. "We can't be like this unless Lord Transyl or another Vladat decided to release us."

"That's impossible, we all know it." said Kuphulu, helping Crüjo stand back up. "You think Tennyson did something? I know for a fact even his Vladat form can't help, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's the one responsible."

"He has always been a wild card, even with the Plumbers." said Rook.

"Well, if he did anything, I'm hoping this lasts. I can't kick myself into high gear while restrained."

"Was that a pun?" asked the mummy alien. "I think Tennyson is rubbing on us way too much for someone we were supposed to murder a while ago."

* * *

Lord Transyl's eyes stopped glowing, and Ben was delighted.

"I will truly never understand how you can decide to put them above you. There isn't much honor in doing so when you have the choice of going with me."

"Never say never." teased Ben. "You'd be surprised as to how having company can save a life, even your own."

Lord Transyl slightly frowned. "You could've become something greater, such a shame, my dearest slave."

"Sorry, but if my friends are taking the bullet, I'm not taking any risk."

The teen felt lighter now that he struck a deal. Sure, they couldn't escape, but he wasn't the only one who could decide for himself now. It wasn't their way out, it wasn't the solution to all their problems, but at least it was a start.

He was about to exit the room, his task complete. He stopped, turning to the alien lord. "When people I care about are in the need, I'd do anything to make sure they'd feel safe and free. I can't let them down, I won't let them down."

The man smirked again at Ben's words. "I hope to be a part of that, my slave."

"Who knows?" Ben grinned.

He didn't realize Lord Transyl was standing in front of him again. He flinched when he saw him put his hands around Ben's head.

"However, do not forget yourself, Ben Tennyson. You are as important to my plans as you are to those friends of yours. Don't put yourself in unnecessary harm."

Ben gulped. The look in his eyes felt... different. It was less evil or cruel, it seemed... fonder, more curious than threatening. This was really new compared to the other bad guys. And before he knew it, Lord Transyl put his lips on Ben's Corruptura, his teeth brushing Ben's skin softly.

Ben stood speechless. He probably got another upgrade, but this still felt weird whenever Lord Transyl did that. It almost felt like a kiss...

"Okay. I'll... try not to die next time you put me on time-out." he said as Lord Transyl released him.

The lord was amused by Ben's attitude. "You seem to have gotten healthier." he said, his purple eyes inspecting Ben, looking at his inner parts and seeing life flow through the boy's body. "Your energy is significantly stronger, and you aren't as weak as you were when you fell before me. Have a good rest, my slave. You deserve it for what you do to those around you."

He saw Ben's heart beat faster. The poor boy was confused, not comprehending where his kindness and leniency came from.

"You may leave now."

"...thank you."

Ben finally left, going back to the dungeons.  _'I think I'll never understand how stuff in the Anur System works.'_

* * *

"Gimme more!" roared Crüjo.

"Already? I can't believe you haven't had your dose for the night." teased Kuphulu.

"Not all of us here have a body that can feed on anything just by touching it or shoving it into their skins, now pass me that."

Though Scout and Rook felt a bit guilty and still hesitant about eating, they had to admit they couldn't blame their cellmates for stealing plates from other prisoners. They hadn't been satisfied with their food for days, and they'd rather steal than fall sick for now. They did worry about getting a bad influence from this experience though.

"Hey guys." said Ben, arriving at the cell.

"There you are!" said Viktor. "You owe us an explanation, kid."

"What? No th-"

"Thanks, kid." cut him Crüjo. Ben gave him a look. "What? I learned to anticipate with you around."

"Anyway," he sighed, "I got Lord Transyl to lay off for now. You guys are free!"

"We noticed." thanked Scout, biting into a piece of meat.

"Ben, you do not realize how proud of you Magister Tennyson would be."

"I don't need to imagine, Rook." explained Ben with a sad smile, remembering his grandfather back on Earth. "Grandpa always taught me to leave a campsite cleaner than I found it. I'm just doing what I've been told to do."

"You sure you're not being too much of a good kid, Tennyson?" asked Viktor.

"You can always tell me if you liked it better when you were standing like a camping peg every morning." said Ben, sticking his tongue out.

"How did you convince Lord Transyl? Did you twist his arm or some other kind of threat?" asked Kuphulu.

"First, I wanna know who taught you how to negotiate. Second, I'm not sure I'm gonna bite more than I can chew, he's stronger than the average human. And third, we talked."

Seeing the confused stares directed at him, he decided to elaborate. "He wanted to thank me for my stunt and let me do one thing to make my life here easier. So, I told him to let you be normal again."

"And he agreed?!" exclaimed Viktor.

"Dude, I ended the Highbreed invasion, got the Pantophage to leave the Lewodans alone and I ended the feud between Appoplexians and Lewodans with a talk. And some brute strength too. Really, did I need to get the Kingdom of Zarcovia to let you go to convince you I know how to deal with this?"

"You still made Zabin's followers try to annihilate you, Ben." pointed out Rook.

"Hey! I didn't think that statue would collapse, okay?! Plus, I wasn't too used to have Way Big on me yet, not my fault I didn't control my weight." argued Ben. "Plus, I did end the war, technically. Now they want to destroy me instead of each other, that's an improvement."

"Uh huh."

The other prisoners were amused by the exchange. Ben had enough history in the galaxy as a hero, so it only made sense for his partner to know his biggest messes, ones he kept hidden for the sake of his reputation.

"Come on, at least I wasn't trying to sell used weapons to soldiers and conning them into giving me their money while they're broke like Kevin and Argit did! Now I wonder where all that money went..."

"Back to the point, what do we do now?" asked Rook. "I doubt he would let us go scott-free, no matter how much you tried to convince him."

"I don't really have a plan, but I got  _something_. Follow me, guys."

* * *

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Scout.

The whole thing seemed ridiculous.

Ben had tied Viktor's conductors with to Kuphulu with his bands. The mummy didn't like the idea already.

"Now, try an electric charge." said Ben.

"Tennyson, if I die, I hold you for responsible." threatened Kuphulu.

Viktor wasn't too sure about this, he didn't know what to think of what Ben had in mind, but he sent a low voltage to his friend anyway.

Kuphulu's bands started sparking with electricity, flowing as if they were in the wind.

"That looks cool, but go with more power now!"

Viktor generated more energy into his conductors, and more electricity sparked from Kuphulu's bands, except it looked wilder and more dangerous to touch. The Thep Khufan didn't seem to mind however.

"Now, whip it good!"

The mummy threw his bands around, acting like a whip indeed, except the electric charge in his body made energy waves whenever he hit anything with the bands. The aliens around were speechless at Ben's tactic. Did he just... combine their powers?

"Grandpa was right about me needing to get better at physics, I wasn't sure that'd work, to be honest."

"You could've made a barbecue out of us and you took the risk?!" complained Kuphulu.

"Wow, you got barbecues in there too? Anyway, I tried to do that before as Snare-Oh, but with the Rustbucket's batteries. Never got the chance to try with a legit living battery person."

Kuphulu seemed to relax, but Viktor was glaring at Ben for the name.

"Look, it's kinda hard to explain, but you can make more damage with your bands than you think you can with this power combo. You guys are a bit tired so I'm not gonna show you now, but you'll see you can handle a lot more power than this."

"Where did you even learn to do this?"

"Ask Feedback for that." teased Ben. "Okay, Crüjo, Scout, come here." he beckoned both Loboans.

Taking the mummy's bands again as the Transylian cut off the charge, he tied a band around each of the werewolf aliens' waists.

"I know you guys can do sonic howls. Ever tried, Super Mega Shocking Electric Sonic Howls?"

Both blinked, then seemed to get where Ben was going with this.

At his sign, Viktor charged up again, and the electricity went through Kuphulu to both Loboans. Charged with energy but unhurt, they both went on all fours and let out their screams. The purple energy waves fired from their mouths looked like high energy fields, and the dent it left on the nearby wall seemed satisfying enough.

"Wow."

"Say, guys, when we defeat Lord Transyl and go back home, might tagging along? I think I could use this for a science project for school." said Ben.

"You just turned our powers into an ultimate attack, and that's all you have to say?!"

"What? A hero like me needs to get unpredictable, that's why I need to make tactics bad guys won't expect." winked Ben. "Look, guys, I know this is hard, but we'll eventually get through this, together. On our own, we're easy targets, but if we combine our forces together, I'm sure we'll be able to be enough of a unit to overthrow Lord Transyl."

He held out his hand. "Who's with me?"

Rook was the first to put his hand with Ben's. The Anur aliens looked at each other. Ben might have had a rough start on their planet, he might have been easily defeated last time, and they were partially to blame. But he knew what he was doing, he could be trusted. Without a word, they all joined in, forming the whole team.

"As long as we stay unseparable, we can do this." he smiled.

There was hope, they could go back to their lives after this, they could fix everything.

As they went on back to the cells, however, Scout tripped.

Catching his old friend's arm, he accidentally made Rook fall too. And since they forgot to untangle themselves from the bands, the others followed soon after and the group went down on the dirty ground together.

"Sorry." apologized Scout.

"Hmph.!" said Ben, raising his head from the dust. "We're really unseparable now, tied with strong bonds."

Though he was pouting, his joke still cheered up his friends. They weren't going to give up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming back after decades for an update, here I am!
> 
> Now, the team's all together, they all have faith in themselves and each other, they're all in this together! ✿･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧︵(ꈍ‿ꈍ)╯･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✧✿
> 
> Lord Transyl also attempts more suggestion on Ben's mind, but bringing him back into the game doesn't make it easier to get Ben to be his :P
> 
> Anyway, hope u guys liked it, and I'll be there for another chap. Until next update, hope u do well and bye!
> 
> Heato, out!


	8. Chapter 7: Walking Gearheads

"How does this work?"

"I'll try to shock that Omnitrix of yours, and we'll see if I get a reaction."

Because they now had all the time they needed, Viktor insisted that Ben helped him out with a few experiments, in an attempt to get the Omnitrix working.

Voice command wouldn't work, unless it was to lock him out of using the Omnitrix. Any attempt at getting close would result in Ben beating up Viktor's face (or at least try to. the teen's arm felt sore whenever it hit the Transylian's head).

The others were watching, seeing how it went out while helping out some prisoners feeding (or in some cases, steal food). Crüjo and Kuphulu had made bets on how Ben would look whenever one of the experiments failed. Rook and Scout thankfully didn't share that crude humor (though Ben felt they had their own way of enjoying the show).

Last time, Ben's face was covered in ashes after an air trip to the ceiling. The week before, Ben wondered if he needed glasses after the light show he took part of when Viktor had tested out if harming him by blinding him would trigger the Omnitrix's defenses (Ben still couldn't understand how he went Bullfrag when he got shot. Did Attea touch the watch when it happened?).

And the month before, Rook took him out of the way when one of their experiments almost resulted in him getting crushed by a chandelier. At this rate, Ben wondered if he wouldn't need a wheelchair when they'd escape.

"You promise it's not gonna kill me?"

"How much electricity can a human take anyway?"

"How should I know?! I just go Feedback, AmpFibian or Chromastone whenever that happens!"

"Shouldn't you have studied this at your Earth schools?" Viktor raised a brow.

"I did in middle school, that's not part of our school programs anymore." argued Ben. "I can't even remember what I last studied, it's been a while since I went to class. I probably got a lot of extra homework waiting."

"Well, if you don't get to live this time, you probably won't have to worry about your future, do you?"

Ben gave the scientist a look as he readied himself. How did the guy even work at the NASA? Where did he even get his papers before he, Gwen and Max went to Cape Canaveral?

The young hero held his hand out, waiting for the Transylian to send in the charge. Purple sparks came out of the metallic parts on his back, and shot towards the Omnitrix. Green sparks were emitted from the watch, and a few seconds after, green electricity was surrounding the watch, electrocuting Ben in the process.

The energy rush made Ben spazz out, before the energy from the watch recoiled and sent him flying to the wall. Viktor dodged the green lightnings coming out from the device, wincing as he heard the impact between Ben and the cold stone walls.

"Another day, another failure."

Ben coughed as he got back up. "I swear I'll never skip classes again when I go home." He put back his air into place and wiped out the ash and dust on his face. "Any other idea bright idea involving me almost dying?"

"You can't rush science! Let's go back to the room and call it a day."

"Sure." Ben shrugged.

He hadn't noticed the watch was still sparking green.

* * *

"What else does Ben do?"

"During the Incursean invasion on Peptos XI, he took part of Plan Omega and ingested the entirety of the planet with its inhabitants. I believe if I had not told him to go inside the Proto-TRUK, he would have stayed in space until he was either human again or reached Peptos XII."

"How can you even eat a whole planet?!" asked Kuphulu.

"Gourmands having a gateway to another dimension in their stomachs must help, I believe." shrugged Rook.

It was entertaining to talk about his days as Ben's partner with Scout, especially with the bigger audience that came with it. Of course, it didn't feel all that right to talk about Ben to criminals, but they seemed on their side for now. Besides, they found Ben's adventures hilarious. Young One, Shar and his other siblings wouldn't believe him if he told them he had lived and worked with thugs for a while.

"What's it even like on your planet? We've only ever heard of Earth." asked Crüjo.

"Revonnah is a majestic and beautiful place with multiple suns. We have many farms and fields for our Amber Orgia culture. We often have to fight off Muroids who try to eat our reserves and break into our silos. Our most remarkable quality is our knowledge and technique of exploiting Amber Orgia. Our clothing, our meals, our tools, everything on our planet revolves around Amber Orgia. On day one of-"

"In short, life is there is a 'eat, farm, eat what you farm' kind of life." Scout cut him short, annoying the Revonnahgander. "Believe me, Rook has a fun life, but it's not fun to hear about what you do in a month worth of farming. I've been there before, trust me."

Kuphulu and Crüjo snickered at the exchange. Maybe off-worlders weren't as bad of bummers as they thought they were. Even though it was one of their own that found Rook's incoming speech boring.

"Anyone knows how long they'll take? I hope Ben can still walk after they're done." yawned Scout.

"I know Viktor's experiences almost costed Ben's life on more than one occasion, but how bad can they really be?" asked Rook.

His cellmates gave him looks that were a mixture of worry, dread and possible envy for his ignorance. He was lucky not to have lived on the planet by his own initiative, otherwise he might've seen what the scientist was capable of.

"Well, he did try to bind his neighbors together forever after they got injured at their wedding..." awkwardly mentioned Crüjo.

"Not that they really complained afterwards." added Kuphulu. "How about when he turned that injured spectral horse ride into a living firework?"

"That wasn't a problem until the owner got disqualified for doping his beast before a race, I had to gather the burning pieces while the public was still shocked and make a report." commented Scout. "What about when he tried to replace the town's water supply with his own homemade chemicals?"

"Oh come on, that wasn't so bad." argued Crüjo. "Okay, I admit, I almost needed a doctor that day and pretended I was fine so he wouldn't try to cure me, but it wasn't that dramatic."

Rook lightly laughed at the way they were speaking of the creature. Dr. Viktor seemingly had a similar reputation for breaking things (and maybe people) like Ben did.

"You can't ignore that time he opened a portal to another dimension."

"Which time exactly?"

"How about when he stole some of our stuff for his machines?"

"Eh, seeing where that got us, must've been worth it. And the purple pumpkins?"

"Hey, we don't talk about that incident anymore. You know the other prisoners are gonna maul us if we mention it again."

* * *

Ben sometimes wondered what those Corrupturas were made of.

Did Lord Transyl produce them all from his body? Could Whampire do the same at planetary scale? Maybe not in his current state, he wasn't fed enough on Vladat standards. But it was fascinating how these little bats could control an army, though also very distressing in his case.

He also wondered if he could just alter their appearances by will. Lord Transyl did so for him after all, his Corruptura was special and looked special, in the way it almost felt like he was given a jewel or a gift, rather than a prison ticket.

Of course it wasn't a gift, it was nowhere of a blessing coming from Lord Transyl... even if he had shown himself less severe with Ben recently, more lenient to him and his team. Not a reason to enjoy it either, he had to escape someday.

He hoped it wasn't messing with his mind aside from his movements, the vampire being already did so more than once and Ben felt weird whenever that happened. It wasn't exactly fear anymore, he felt nervous but didn't exactly panic. He just... lost control of his senses every time.

He hoped those things wouldn't require more food from him, it was already tedious recovering as an alien, now as a host to an alien bloodsucker?

_'Well, I was a bloodsucker once or twice too.'_  he mused.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the room?" Viktor raised a brow.

"No, I mean, where are we going with this?" Ben pointed to the watch.

"Oh, that. The Omnitrix still hasn't reacted like expected despite our latest attempts. This time wasn't really a disappointment though." concluded Viktor. "We must interact with it more directly, if we manage to bypass the 'no-touching' rule that Vladat put on you."

"Yeah, I don't even get what's his deal. You guys won't kill me any time soon, the other prisoners aren't in the right state to, so why does he even go that far? I can't touch the Omnitrix, and you guys aren't allowed to either."

"Maybe he's planning to keep you inside a glass cage for good measure when it's all over and doesn't want you in bad shape?" teased Viktor, while also having something else in mind.

"Pfft, you wish. I'm a one-of-a-kind collectible. And for the damaged part, he lost that one. I'll need a medical team when this is all over." snorted Ben, still unaware his Omnitrix occasionally acted up. "Hey guys, what are you up to?"

Their friends looked at each other.

"You're still alive?"

"You make it sound like I'm a walking disaster." complained Viktor. "I know my inventions can be unpredictable, unpredictably genius, but I can keep up with those and survive, you should know that by now."

"Dude, I think they were talking about me." said Ben.

"Oh."

"Nothing new?" asked Rook.

"We're working on it, partner." said Ben. "Don't worry. Just a few weeks, and we'll return to Mr Smoothies, hear grandpa talk about his old days, and you'll talk machinery with Kevin and stuff."

"I do miss talking to a fellow gearhead such as Kevin. He had an unparalleled style with his car's settings and protections."

"Maybe you could give a look at my car too. I'm not too good at engineering without Jury Rigg or my other aliens and I haven't used it a lot since you're the one driving me everywhere now."

"Hmm..." Rook thought it over. "Maybe you could start learning yourself, you do have all the time now after all." he teased.

"Hey! I already had all the time before becoming an 'outlaw', I just never had a use for it. Plus, where do you see a bucket of bolts and gears to work on around here?!"

For obvious reasons, the three other sitting aliens awkwardly looked back and forth between him and Viktor, reminding him of when Psychobos stole his watch's stabilizer and he had accidentally insulted Jerry, local alien mole working at the Inhuman Resources.

"Okay, okay, I got what you mean, but I'm not gonna become a gearhead by working on someone alive." Ben crossed his arms. "I'd need a tool first, so unless you gave me your Proto-Tool..."

Rook knew exactly what that face meant. Ben's smirk greatly resembled Young One and his sisters' grins whenever they were trying to steal something from him, whether it was Amber Orgia, a piece of candy, a toy, his first Proto-Tool (now in pieces, good thing he had replacements) or anything else. So he warned him.

"Ben, do not."

"Make me." he shook his fingers in anticipation.

"I swear, I am faster than you and would not hesitate to put you down." he said with a cocky smile.

"You're also way more predictable, buddy."

Two seconds in, and while Rook had swiftly dodged Ben moving to get closer, he hadn't expected the teen to still have his hand extended, before grabbing his back and snatching the Proto-Tool from its owner. Maybe he needed more practice, his reflexes had gone to a point Ben could predict them.

"Very funny, Ben. Now give me that back before you hurt yourself."

"Chillax, like I'm gonna-"

A green spark came from the watch, and reached the Proto-Tool. Except the feedback came back right at Ben, stinging him.

"Ouch!" said Ben, dropping the weapon as he fell.

"Ben! I told you... Are you okay?" he helped his partner get back up.

"I think so?... Wait."

The Omnitrix wasn't behaving normally anymore, the core was up. Ben was delighted, but before he could do anything, the core was down and the faceplate was closed again.

"Hold on a minute."

The prisoners looked at the device. It hadn't acted strangely in a while, they haven't had the occasion to see it act like this. Suddenly, the holograms appeared and the Omnitrix started circling through the aliens on its own.

"Ben, we must find a way to stop this." said Rook.

"I don't know what's going on, but if it's anything like I usually deal with, stay back!" warned Ben, looking at the dial gone mad.

Kuphulu huffed. "Come on, Tennyson, you think we're afraid of a silly little-"

"Stay back or else you're gonna get yourself mutated!"

The mummy seemingly gulped, before taking a step back. Ben shook the device in panic, attempting to stopping it from doing whatever it was doing. There was a flash of green as the core kept going up and down, and...

"Frankenstrike?"

The light had faded, and Ben had become a Transylian.

"This alien? How appropriate!"

"Uh, is this a joke?" asked Scout.

"You don't think the Omnitrix sampled my DNA again somehow, did it?" asked Viktor.

"Nah, it didn't sample it, you just unlocked it. But this is different, you didn't touch the watch this time." said Frankenstrike, looking at his dead-looking fingers.

"How did you mess with the Omnitrix this time?" asked Rook.

"I just sent a small electric shock to it."

"And I looked like a baked good when he was done." glared Frankenstrike.

"Well, you have your answer. His energy wavelength came from a pure Transylian, it overloaded the Omnitrix, couldn't take getting in contact with any other type of technology, making the Omnitrix uncontrollable and set on Dr. Viktor's electricity powers, resulting in your Transylian form."

Frankenstrike blinked. "That sounds like a big far-fetched made-up Mumbo Jumbo way of explaining what happened."

"Was it not what happened when Phil meddled with the Omnitrix using the energy of the Nemetrix he had been charged with?"

"Maybe, but I don't know more about Phil's new spider monster life and I'm not sure I want to, don't know how that works. Except I could only use electric aliens for a while, and I could never use Feedback for some reason."

"Maybe because you hit the dial too hard?" smugly asked Kuphulu.

The teen-turned-Transylian glared at the Thep Khufan thug.

"You know, I could really use some head clobbering." said Frankenstrike. "So how about-"

"You're coming with me!" said Viktor, grabbing Frankenstrike by the arm.

"Wait, what?"

Frankenstrike silently left the cell with the scientist, confused.

* * *

It was tiring to go over this again.

His Vladat soldiers still needed to be cured, and so did he. Of course, he wasn't as incapacitated as them, but he was a king, he was priority over his people. But for now, he had to survive another of the Ectonurite's conquering speeches.

He'd rather go back to bed and pretend to sleep while the Ecto-Lord kept blabbering over and over again, he sadly couldn't have that luck. The Ectonurite could still disturb his control on the slaves.

This could be problematic, especially since he didn't want Zs'Skayr doing anything to  _his_  slave.

It was a night like any other, in short. He wished there was at least some entertainment. He told himself this fortress was sometimes too efficient, he didn't feel the thrill of imposing his rule when no one was fighting back, or could fight back.

Maybe if his slave had attempted to escape again, then they could have some fun...

He kept walking in disinterest, pretending to listen to Zs'Skayr, who still seemed to be talking to himself.

"Remind me again why I agreed to help?"

"You didn't, I made you."

Two voices coming from down the dungeons had caught his attention.

"Lord Transyl, is something the matter?" asked Zs'Skayr.

"Silence." strictly said the vampire lord. "There's some commotions down here."

Lord Transyl closed his eyes and focused on the sounds.

He could tell there were heavy footsteps on the floor underneath. From their smell, it would've been Transylians, although one smelled... unnatural. He didn't smell a normal Transylian, this felt like some other kind. Maybe a new breed?

No, he would've smelled it earlier if that had been the case. They've either had an intruder, or...

Lord Transyl licked his lips temptingly. "I wonder what this intrepid boy has in mind."

Under that floor, Ben had been carrying out the most unusual tools Viktor gave him. If he understood well, the doctor had now made him an assistant for a few hours. Ben argued it wouldn't last more than ten minutes, and that the town would probably still remember him (for some reason, Kuphulu felt satisfaction when Ben mentioned that) after chasing him as an angry mob.

He had to comply, it wasn't like the other prisoners were in the right state to attack him and reduce him to Anubian Baskurr food (apparently, Zed had origins from Anur Khufos? Her species did seem famous to the inhabitants in there. And Kuphulu seemed envious of Kevin when he heard about her).

Viktor had decided to help out other Transylians by presenting Ben as an "apprentice doctor", fixing up some of his people's damaged bits, stitching up pieces of skin here and there. If they couldn't make sure everyone could escape, at least they could try limiting the body count.

At least it was nice they didn't recognize him and looked at him in a friendly way. Would've been probably easier if he had showed up on the planet like this from the get-go. He however didn't like how some of the patients were looking at him.

He felt they were undressing him with their eyes. Okay, sure, Frankenstrike was the prime specimen of a Transylian as kept in data by the watch, of course he'd look like a hunk even as an alien. But did they have to give him that look?

If this was how some nurses in hospitals felt whenever they were being looked at, Ben felt like sending his apologies to any lady he and Kevin inappropriately looked at (Gwen had given them the stink eye when they went out last time one of them was hospitalized). Viktor on the other hand had fun making him carry all of his stuff.

"Why do I have to help?"

"I thought you were a hero, always supposed to help everyone."

"I am." Frankenstrike rolled his eyes. "But why did you wait until I became Frankenstrike to start helping?"

"You're the only other Transylian around who's enough in shape to help me out. If you didn't notice already, all of my medical tools are charged with energy enough to bring someone back to life and I couldn't ask the others for help."

"So you waited until I could make myself useful to start treating the prisoners?"

"Oh no no no, I've already been doing this for a little while after I became free of my movements. I just haven't been able to pick up on this pace before you joined."

"Well, that's really nice of you to do for your people. Except for the fact all I've been doing was carrying your junk."

It had to be said, Viktor didn't truly need Ben's help, he could just make a bag to take his tools with him. But he had seized the opportunity when Ben became more resistant to electricity with his current form, it was way funnier to work with Tennyson acting like a mere butler.

"Oh, don't take it too bad." he smugly smiled, his hands completely free of carry and behind his back. "You're contributing to this society's recovery, that should be a reward in itself."

Frankenstrike could be heard mumbling some complaints as they went past empty cells, much to Viktor's amusement.

"Don't you ever feel like these things on our head are spying on us?"

"I have no idea how the inner functions of the Corrupturas work, beside the basics." said Viktor. "I at least hoped your Vladat form could be in control of them."

"I wish, even Whampire had it. How come this thing stays in place when I go hero?"

"The upgrades that wretched creature has given must've made it more resistant to sunlight among other things. From what I've seen, that thing goes deep into your head, to your human brain."

"So I can't remove it without tearing my brain cells out, got it. Reminds me of that Dream Eater alien I saw before."

"A Cassiopeian Dream Eater? Why? You had one giving you nightmares before?"

"No... not," Frankenstrike rolled his eyes remembering how the incident was prevented with a spilled smoothie, "not exactly me. Think if I used Pesky Dust on those, they'd go away?"

"Who?"

"My Nemuina form."

Viktor smiled. "I already like this idea, let's experiment that some time soon!"

"Usually, scientists aren't all 'let's make stuff blow up!' kinda guys like you are." noted Frankenstrike.

"It's not because I'm set towards scientific endeavors that I don't like to break things as well."

"Tch, tell me about it." the young alien snorted.

Then, he froze.

"Another of those days I wish I had a bigger lab, more assistants. You know, like you and your friends in that old base of yours... Tennyson?"

Frankenstrike had stopped moving, his expression was something between shock and fear. He seemed stuck in place, making Viktor raise a brow before trying to shake him out of it.

"Tennyson? Ben Tennyson? Are you still with me?"

There was a loud metallic sound as the young Transylian dropped everything he had in hand, still retaining the same shell-shocked expression.

"Tennyson, what's going on?!" worriedly asked the doctor. "Your state is concerning, what's happening?"

"He's... here..."

"What?!"

Before Viktor knew it, Lord Transyl was in front of them, eyeing them with a smug smile on his black lips.

"Why, what do we have here?" said the lord with a husky voice.

Viktor gritted his teeth as he saw the teenage Transylian shiver. Human or not, Viktor hated seeing one of his own scared by that cursed Vladat.

"This new form of yours is... peculiar..." he said, approaching Ben.

Because neither of them could move away, Viktor had to watch the king get closer to Ben, smelling his scent,  _gaze at him as if he was a mere snack_.

Frankenstrike gulped as he felt the Vladat bring his clawed hands on the alien's bare scarred chest, caressing his stitches and nearing the Omnitrix. This was close, way too close for comfort. What did the Vladat want from him again?

Was Frankenstrike that appetizing in his opinion? Ben almost felt scandalized at the idea he went from being a trophy to being food, if he wasn't in danger of dying in either case. And the whole thing was ridiculous, a Frankenstein monster is supposed to be scarier than a vampire. So why was he intimidated?

It felt no matter what form he was, he wasn't gonna get the upper hand any soon.

"Of all forms, you chose a Transylian. The first and last times, it was one of my own. And when that little brat came in, it was an Incursean. Is this your way of... submitting yourself?"

The Corruptura must've been strong, because Viktor was ready to fry the man into bits and tear him apart on the spot. Then he remembered that the life-sucker and Ben had a deal concerning him and his other cellmates.

"You wish!"

Lord Transyl annoyedly turned his head to him, also earning a surprised face from Frankenstrike.

"Tennyson never submits." proudly said Viktor. "He's tenacious, determined, hardheaded to the point of idiocy, and he never gave up. I'd know since I fought him many times before. You wouldn't know what he's like, you don't know him. Not like someone with a heart as empty and shallow as yours could."

The Vladat hissed, ready to attack. But he knew it would only complicate things with Ben. Frankenstrike seemed thankful enough someone had made fun of his enemy for him though.

"We'll see about that, we'll see." said Lord Transyl. "For the time being, enough."

His eyes glowed, and so did Ben's Corruptura. The young alien raised his hand to the Omnitrix symbol, reverting back into Ben in a bright flash of green.

Though Viktor didn't always appreciate the light of the day when he posed as a human scientist, mostly due to the irritation it brought and it could hurt his master, he enjoyed seeing the Vladat regret making Ben time out, the flash burning his skin.

"Sorry!" unapologetically shrugged Ben. It was so nice being cocky again.

Then it stopped as soon as Lord Transyl put his cold hand on Ben's cheek.

"What were you doing in this form? Tell me, my slave."

Ben gulped again, but he took a deep breath before answering.

"I was just taking a walk with my friend, Dr. Viktor." he said.

"Oh, really? I do not believe you'd go as far as changing your form for a simple stroll. It seemed to me you were planning to escape." accused the king, though there was a smirk on his face.

"And how can I escape as Frankenstrike? Get real." Ben rolled his eyes. "He's a huge guy, he can't even go through prison bars. Maybe break them, but he's not strong enough to break out of these walls. I'm not strong enough."

The Vladat stayed silent, looking carefully at Ben's face and expressions. And Ben felt that for some reason, the alien was looking at his chest, right where his heart was. He was probably seeing how Ben's blood was doing, though Ben was unsure of why he'd care about him if he wasn't going to eat him any time soon.

"He's right, you don't know me." Ben smirked back. "I'm your prisoner, but setting me limits isn't enough. You have to know the person if you really want to get them."

Then Lord Transyl brought a sharp finger to Ben's chin.

"It will be a pleasure, I have all the time in the universe to get to know you, my slave."

Ben was uncomfortable again at how close the man's face was to his, he sighed of relief as the king stepped back.

"Do not abuse of your freedom down here. You are my prisoners for the rest of your shorter lives. But you're right, I have made myself clear enough about your limits." said Lord Transyl. "I will come back to you soon enough..."

The alien vampire then walked away into the shadows, leaving both Ben and Viktor alone.

"Phew! Thank you for that one!" said Ben.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity of speaking up." said Viktor. He patted the teen's back. "Are you okay? I believe it's unnatural for humans to get as pale as fleshed Anur local species with a lack of fur."

"I'm okay, this was just a close one." sighed Ben.

"Are you sure? I don't remember your face being that warm of a red earlier either."

" _Yes_ , I'm sure I'm okay." insisted Ben, putting his hands around himself protectively, rubbing the places where Lord Transyl had touched him. "Hold up, I think I just got an idea for a new combo."

* * *

"Now what?" asked Kuphulu.

"Now you take a step back, sparks are gonna fly." said Ben.

The Thep Khufan had wrapped Viktor's arms in bandages, all according to Ben's instructions. Then, the scientist started rubbing his palms together.

"You're using Kuphulu's bands as sports tapes?" asked Crüjo.

"That's an idea." said Ben. "But no. This is basic physics, and also the stuff I did when I was avoiding homework. If I still remember what I heard in class well, friction causes static electricity, so..."

"So?"

Viktor charged his Tesla coils, and energy sparks were forming. Suddenly, the sparks got bigger between his hands, running through the bands and a few seconds later, Viktor's arms were surrounded by electrical energy.

"Huh, that is impressive." commented Rook.

"I still need to catch up on my school work, but I think I'm still doing pretty fine for now." said Ben, grinning.

"I would not get so hasty, Ben. Who knows when your improvised weapons could blow back in our faces?" teased Rook.

Then there was an explosion. Ben and Rook turned back to see smoke coming from Viktor, whose face was covered in ashes. It seemed he had produced too much energy.

"Well, Rook, you got your answer." said Ben.

"Maybe next time, we should try that sort of thing on the training ground instead." stated Viktor, while his teammates could hardly contain their laughter.

Ben helping him out surely  _brightened_  things up for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't posted a chapter for this fic in a while, so here you have it
> 
> *gets thrown away from the rain of booing*
> 
> Anyway, in this chappie, Ben makes progress, and blows stuff up! Both literally and figuratively...
> 
> I also decided to make some time skips for now, not everything in this story happens at once. Just like Lord Transyl isn't gonna get Ben for the time being, they haven't had the time to, ahem, get to truly know each other. You can't rush everything in relationships, can you? (=3=)
> 
> Anyway, still figuring out the next bits, but I'm glad you guys are still following me through this.
> 
> Thanks a lot and cya around! Heato, out!


End file.
